Mauritius, The Patent, Industrial Designs And Trademarks Act

The Patent, Industrial Designs and Trademarks Act enacted in 2002 has come into effect as of April 10th, 2004. Main changes include: – Absolute novelty is now required – Patent duration is 20 years from filing date, not 14 extendable for a similar period, as previously – An existing patent will be valid for 14 years unless it has been extended, in which case it will remain in force for the non-expired portion of the period for which it was extended. – Pending application filed before January 6th, 2003 will be treated according to the new Act – Annuities have been introduced, payable on old patents also – Formal and substantive examination is carried out – Compulsory licenses are provided for