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Patents of Invention

Legal Basis

– Patent Law of April 1, 1998, ratified on April 2, 1998.
– Implementing Rules, dated March 26, 1999.

Membership in International Conventions

– Paris Convention.
– Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
– European Patent Convention.

Filing Requirements

– Power of attorney, simply signed;
– 2 copies of the patent;
– Full name, address and nationality of the applicant, the inventor and his representative;
– The title of the invention must be brief and exact and show the object of the invention;
– Translation of the entire patent into Greek is required;
– Priority document, when needed. A Greek translation of the entire document is required.

Remarks

Duration: patent issued after examination only as to formalities – valid for 20 years.
Annuities: have to be paid for the maintenance of registered patents as from the 3rd year of protection.
Opposition: after a patent application is published in the Official Gazette, oppositions may be filed in Court by any person.

 

Trade and Service Marks

Legal Basis

– Trade Marks Law No. 206/90, in force since November 19, 1990.
– Law No. 176(I)/2000, in force since December 29, 2000.
– Law No. 63(I)/2020, in force since June 12, 2020.
– Law No. 107(I)/2021, in force since May 12, 2021.

Membership in International Conventions

– Paris Convention.
– Madrid Agreement and Protocol.

Filing Requirements

– 1 print of the mark even for a word mark;
– The specification of goods. Class headings of the Nice Classification are accepted, with the exception of the following headings which are considered vague and uncertain: Class 7 – Machines, Class 37 – Repairs/Installation services, Class 40 – Treatment of materials, Class 45 – Personal and social services offered by third parties to meet individual needs.

Note: a power of attorney is no longer required. All applications and other documents must be filed in the official Greek language.

Remarks

Duration – renewals: 10-year period after the filing date or last renewal date.
Obligation to use the registered mark: a mark may be taken off the Registry, if there has been no bona fide use of the mark for five consecutive years. Use by a licensee is considered as valid trademark use provided the license has been recorded at the Trademark Office. Publication and advertisement in newspapers and periodicals circulating in Cyprus is also considered as valid use.
Opposition: may be filed within three months from the date of publication of the acceptance of the mark by the Registrar. Extensions of time can be requested and it is up to the Registrar to decide.

 

Industrial Designs

Legal Basis

– Law on Industrial Designs, in force since February 15, 2002.
– Implementing Rules, dated December 8, 2003.

Membership in International Conventions

– None for designs.

Filing Requirements

– Power of attorney, simply signed;
– A graphic or photographic representation (size not exceeding 6 x 6 cm).

Remarks

Duration: after formal examination: 5 years from the filing date. Renewable up to 25 years.
Opposition: same as patents.

 

Domain Names

Filing

ccTLD: .cy
Applicant: individuals and legal entities.
Local presence: required.

Remarks

Duration – renewals: one year, renewable.
Uniform dispute resolution procedure: available (ICANN UDRP model) before WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.