Tunisia

HOW TO REGISTER A PATENT

Tunisia is a member of the International Convention and of the PCT.

The requirements for filing a non-PCT application in Tunisia are as follows:

1. Power of Attorney (simply signed) - required within 2 months of filing;
2. Specification, claims, drawings, and abstract in English, Arabic, or French - required on the day of filing;
3. Assignment of Invention - required within 2 months of filing;
4. Assignment of Priority Rights - required within 2 months of filing; and
5. Priority document with verified translation into the language in which the application was filed - required within 2 months of filing.

The requirements for filing a PCT application in Tunisia are as follows:

1. Power of Attorney (simply signed) - required within 2 months of filing;
2. Specification, claims, drawings, and abstract in English, Arabic, or French - required on the day of filing; and
3. Copy of PCT International advertisement - required on day of filing.

At present, we estimate that the cost of filing in Tunisia will be between about US$ 2000.00 and US$ 2200.00 (including publication and grant fees). This excludes translation fees (if required), claiming convention priority at US$ 80.00 per priority claim, and surplus claim charges of US$ 70.00 per claim over 10.

In the case of a PCT National phase filing, outstanding annuities are normally payable upon entering the National phase (due retrospectively on the first anniversary of the International Filing date and annually thereafter) at a cost of about US$ 400.00 per annuity.

HOW TO REGISTER A TRADE MARK

1.   Filing requirements

1. Full name, street address and description of the applicant (including trading style, if any, and state/ country of incorporation, if incorporated).
2. List of goods and/ or services.
3. A simply signed power of attorney.
4. Clear print of device mark.
5. If priority is claimed: a certified copy of corresponding home application.

2.   Classification

1. The 45 classes of the International Classification are followed.
2. Multi-class - Yes.

3.   General

1. Duration: 10 years from date of application and renewable for further periods of 10 years.
2. Use: Compulsory.
3. Marking: Not compulsory.
4. Licenses: Not compulsory.
5. Assignments of applications are permitted.
6. Searches available within approximately 7-14 working days from instruction and are conducted in an official register.

HOW TO OBTAIN DESIGN PROTECTION

Design protection is obtainable via a national filing.Tunisia is a member of the International Convention.

The requirements for filing an application in Tunisia are as follows:

1. Power of Attorney - no legalisation or notarisation necessary;
2. 4 sets of formal drawings; and
3. Certified copy of the priority document (if priority is claimed).

Please note that the documents listed under item (b) are required on the day of filing. Items (a) and (c) can be lodged up to 2 months after filing.

Our cost estimate for filing a design application having protection period of 15 years in Tunisia is between about US$ 1800.00 and US$ 2000.00. To this must be added further costs of about US$ 70.00 for each priority claim.

Furthermore, it is possible to file a single application covering up to 100 variants of a design which belong to the same  class of international application or the same range of articles. Surcharges of about US$ 200.00 can be expected for each variant up to the 19th variant. Thereafter, each additional variant will cost about US$ 150.00.