Country Overview
Egypt is one of the most strategically positioned and economically influential jurisdictions in the Middle East and North Africa. With a population of over 110 million and a diversified economy spanning Energy, Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, FMCG, and Technology, the country serves as a commercial gateway between Africa, the Gulf, and Europe.
As a long-standing member of major global IP treaties including the Paris Convention (1951), Berne Convention (1977), Madrid Agreement (1952), Madrid Protocol (2009), and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (2003) Egypt offers a familiar and structured framework for IP owners seeking protection, commercialization, or enforcement across a high-growth regional market.
Recent initiatives to modernize Egypt’s IP framework include the establishment of the Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority (EGIPA) and the launch of an online patent filing portal in 2023.
UTMPS Presence in Egypt
UTMPS established its Egypt office in 2019, expanding our MENA footprint into one of the region’s most commercially active jurisdictions. Our Cairo office delivers practical, responsive, and business-aligned IP support, backed by UTMPS’ 75-year track record across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa.
From initial filings to complex enforcement, clients rely on our Egypt team for insights grounded in local procedure, regulatory experience, and regional enforcement strategy. We support leading multinationals, regional corporates, and innovators across Egypt’s major industries, with seamless coordination across all UTMPS offices.
Egypt IP System Overview
This section provides a high-level overview of jurisdiction-specific IP protection requirements and is not intended to be comprehensive. For advice on your specific matter, please contact our IP experts.
Egypt operates a single-class trademark system with protection valid for 10 years,
renewable indefinitely.
- Filing Routes: National filing or via Madrid Protocol
- Timeline: approx. 12-16 months to registration
- Opposition: 60 days from publication
- Renewal: every 10 years, with a 6-month grace period
- Formalities: legalized POA; incorporation documents; priority documents where
applicable - Notes: marks containing religious symbols or national emblems may face objection
Patent protection is available via the Paris Convention or
PCT routes.
- Protection Term: 20 years from filing
- Priority Claims: 12 months (Paris); 30 months (PCT)
- Requirements: legalized POA; Arabic translation of full
specifications - Maintenance: annual annuities payable from the second year onward
Design protection follows a renewable three-term structure.
- Protection Term: up to 15 years (5+5+5)
- Timeline: approx. 12-18 months
- Hague System: Egypt is not a member
- Renewals: every 5 years; no annual maintenance fees
Copyright protection is automatic under the Berne Convention framework.
- Registration: optional but recommended for enforcement
- Requirements: copy of the work; applicant ID/company documents; POA
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- Egypt provides sui generis protection for new plant varieties under Book Four (Plant Varieties) of Intellectual Property Law No. 82 of 2002, as amended.
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- Egypt is a member of UPOV (1991 Act), having acceded in 2019, and operates a national plant variety protection system aligned with UPOV principles.
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- Eligibility Criteria: a variety shall be new, distinct, uniform, stable (DUS) and shall be subject of a denomination
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- Protection Term: 25 years for trees/vines, 20 years for other crops, from the grant date.
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- Priority: within 12 months from the first filing in another UPOV member country.
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- Maintenance: Requires annual fees and DUS reports, with fees updated periodically
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- Filing requirements typically include:
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- Legalised Power of Attorney
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- Applicant and breeder details
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- Technical description of the variety
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- DUS test report or undertaking to undergo national DUS testing
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- Evidence of novelty in accordance with statutory time limits
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- Filing requirements typically include:
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- Examination: formal examination followed by technical examination (DUS testing).
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- Maintenance: annual fees required to maintain validity.
Cairo
Building No. 3, 11th Floor, Abou El Feda
Business Building, Abou El Feda Street, Zamalek,
Cairo, Egypt
Global Reach
With a presence across 20+ jurisdictions spanning the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, UTMPS delivers comprehensive IP solutions tailored to local requirements.
Outside our footprint, we coordinate matters through a carefully vetted network of trusted IP associates worldwide.
