Country Data
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Arab Republic of Egypt |
| Capital | Cairo |
| Area | 1,002,000 sq. km |
| Population | 118,365,995 (2025 estimate) |
| Official Language | Arabic |
| GDP | Approximately US$365.3 billion (2025, current US$; World Bank data) |
| Currency | Egyptian Pound (EGP) |
| Work Days | Sunday – Thursday |
Conventions/ Treaties
- Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property – effective since July 1, 1951.
- Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks – effective since July 1, 1952.
- Madrid Agreement for the Repression of False or Deceptive Indications of Source on Goods – effective since July 1, 1952.
- Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs – Egypt has been a member of the Hague system since July 1, 1952; Egypt subsequently acceded to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, effective August 27, 2004. Egypt’s participation in the 1934 Act was terminated effective October 18, 2016.
- Strasbourg Agreement Concerning the International Patent Classification – effective since October 17, 1975.
- Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works – effective since June 7, 1977.
- Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms – effective since April 23, 1978.
- Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol – effective since October 1, 1982.
- Trademark Law Treaty – effective since October 7, 1999.
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) – effective since September 6, 2003.
- Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks – effective since June 18, 2005.
- Madrid Protocol – effective since September 3, 2009.
- WIPO Convention – effective since April 21, 1975.
National Legislation
- Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, Book Two, relating to Marks, Trade Names, Geographical Indications and Industrial Designs, as amended by subsequent legislation, including Law No. 178 of 2020.
- Prime Minister’s Decree No. 1366 of 2003 issuing the Implementing Regulations of Law No. 82 of 2002, Book Two.
- Law No. 67 of 2006 concerning Consumer Protection, where relevant to trademark matters
Basic Information
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Creation of rights | Registration is the principal basis for trademark protection, subject to statutory recognition of prior use. A registered proprietor who has used the mark for five years acquires the status of owner unless prior use by another party is established. A prior user may challenge registration within that five-year period, while registrations made in bad faith may be challenged at any time. |
| Basis for filing | Prior use is not generally a prerequisite to filing. A trademark may be filed and registered without proof of prior commercial use. However, prior use may become relevant in ownership and cancellation proceedings. |
| Well-known marks | Well-known trademarks enjoy protection in Egypt even if they are not registered locally, subject to the conditions of Article 68. The law permits the Trade Registry Department to reject applications conflicting with well-known marks. |
| Types of marks | Trademarks for goods and services, collective marks and certification marks. Marks may consist of names, signatures, words, letters, numerals, designs, symbols, combinations of colors and other visually recognizable signs. |
| Priority | 6-month priority claim under the Paris Convention. Egypt’s legislation expressly recognizes priority for applications filed in WTO-member countries or countries applying reciprocity. |
| Madrid System | Egypt has been a member of the Madrid Agreement since July 1, 1952 and the Madrid Protocol since September 3, 2009. International registrations designating Egypt are examined by the Egyptian trademark authorities. |
| Filing system | Multiple-class applications are permitted. |
| Classification | The Nice Classification is used. Egypt became a party to the Nice Agreement effective June 18, 2005. |
| Who can be Applicant | Natural persons and legal entities, including Egyptian and qualifying foreign applicants. Foreign applicants may apply where they are from WTO-member countries or countries applying reciprocity to Egypt. |
| Examination | Applications are examined as to formal requirements and registrability, including absolute grounds and conflicts with existing rights/prior marks. Examination and search procedures are conducted by the Trade Registry Department. |
| Publication | Accepted applications are published in the Gazette of Trademarks and Industrial Designs. |
| Opposition period | 60 days from the date of publication of the accepted application. Any interested party may submit a reasoned written opposition. The applicant generally has 30 days from receipt of the opposition to submit a written response. |
| Duration of registration | 10 years from the filing date, renewable for successive periods of 10 years. |
| Renewal | Renewal may be requested during the last year of the protection period. |
| Renewal grace period | 6 months after expiry, subject to payment of the applicable additional fee. |
| Use requirement | A registered trademark may be vulnerable to cancellation if it has not been seriously used for five consecutive years upon the request of an interested party. |
| Registration timeframe (straightforward case) | Approximately 18–24 months, depending on examination, publication and administrative processing. Some current practitioner sources quote approximately 12–18 months for straightforward cases. |
Search
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Search | Available for trademarks, including word and device marks. |
| Scope of search | Searches may cover existing applications and registrations and potentially conflicting marks. |
| Turnaround time | Approximately 15 working days according to current practitioner information |
Ways to obtain protection
- Filing a national trademark application in Egypt, with or without a priority claim under the Paris Convention.
- Filing through the Madrid System, designating Egypt
Documentary Requirements
New Applications
- Power of Attorney – signed by the applicant and generally legalized up to the Egyptian Consulate when filed through a foreign applicant’s local representative.
- Name, address, nationality and legal status of the applicant.
- Representation of the trademark.
- List/specification of goods and/or services and relevant Nice classes.
- Extract from the Commercial Register or certificate of incorporation for a legal-entity applicant, where applicable.
- Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed.
- Required copies/representations of the trademark as prescribed by the Implementing Regulations.
Renewal of Registration
- Power of Attorney, where filed through a representative.
- Trademark registration details/certificate.
- Renewal application and payment of the prescribed renewal fees.
- Supporting corporate documents where required.
Change of Name / Address Recordation
- Power of Attorney reflecting the new name/address.
- Certificate/document evidencing the change of name or address.
- Commercial Register extract or certificate of incorporation reflecting the change, where applicable.
- Trademark registration details/certificate.
- Applicable legalization and translation formalities.
Assignment Recordation
- Power of Attorney from the assignee.
- Deed of Assignment signed by the assignor and assignee.
- Commercial Register extract or certificate of incorporation of the assignee, where applicable.
- Copy of the trademark registration certificate/details.
- Applicable legalization/authentication and translation requirements.
Merger Recordation
- Power of Attorney from the surviving/receiving entity.
- Merger document/certificate.
- Commercial Register extract or certificate of incorporation reflecting the merger.
- Copy of the trademark registration certificate/details.
- Applicable legalization and translation formalities.
License Recordation
- Powers of Attorney from the licensor and licensee, as applicable.
- Trademark license agreement signed by the parties.
- Copy of the trademark registration certificate/details.
- Commercial Register/corporate documents, where applicable.
- Applicable legalization and translation formalities.
National Legislation
- Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, Book One, relating to Patents and Utility Models, Layout-Designs for Integrated Circuits and Undisclosed Information
Ways to obtain patent protection:
- National filing in Egypt.
- PCT national phase application in Egypt.
- Convention application claiming priority under the Paris Convention
Basic Information
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Claims admissible for | Product inventions Process/method inventions |
| Patentability requirements | The invention must generally be: New/novel; Inventive; and Industrially applicable. |
| Novelty requirement | Worldwide/absolute novelty. An invention is generally not considered new where it has previously been patented, publicly used or disclosed in Egypt or abroad before the relevant filing date. |
| Convention priority | Available – 12 months under the Paris Convention. Egyptian law provides a one-year period for filing the corresponding Egyptian application while preserving the priority date of the foreign filing. |
| PCT national phase entry deadline | Generally 30 months from the relevant priority date. |
| Search | Patent information may be searched through the Egyptian Patent Office and available patent-information resources. |
| Examination | Patent applications undergo formal and substantive examination. The Patent Office examines novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability. |
| Publication | Following examination/acceptance, the application is published in the Patent Gazette. The law provides that the grant procedure includes publication, and the patent application remains confidential for the first year from filing. |
| Opposition | Any interested party may oppose the grant of a patent within 60 days from publication of the acceptance of the application in the Patent Gazette. |
| Protection term | 20 years from the filing date in Egypt. |
| Annuity payment | Progressive annual fees are payable from the second year through the expiry of the patent protection period. |
| Grace period for late annuity payment | Failure to pay an annual fee within one year from its due date, after the applicable notification/penalty procedure, may result in lapse of the patent. The statutory penalty is 7% of the annual fee. |
| Working / Compulsory License | The law provides for compulsory/non-voluntary licensing where the patent is not adequately exploited. Current practitioner guidance generally identifies the relevant working period as three years from grant or four years from filing, whichever is longer, subject to the statutory conditions. |
| Patent grant timeframe (straightforward case) | Approximately 3 years on average, although actual prosecution periods can vary substantially depending on examination and objections |
Filing Requirements
- Power of Attorney – generally legalized up to the Egyptian Consulate.
- Applicant’s name, address, nationality and legal status.
- Inventor’s name, address, nationality and other required details.
- Patent specification, claims and abstract.
- Drawings, where applicable.
- Arabic translation of the required patent documentation/specification and claims, where applicable.
- Deed of Assignment of invention/patent rights if the applicant is not the inventor.
- Commercial Register extract or certificate of incorporation for a corporate applicant.
- Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed.
- Payment of the applicable filing, examination and other official fees.
For PCT national phase application:
- Power of Attorney.
- Copy of the PCT international publication.
- International Search Report.
- International Preliminary Report on Patentability / International Preliminary Examination Report, where applicable.
- Arabic translation of the specification, claims and other required documents.
- Formal drawings, where applicable.
- Priority documentation, where applicable.
- Assignment document, where applicable.
- Applicant and inventor details.
- Payment of the national-phase fees and applicable accumulated annuities.
National Legislation
- Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, Book Two, Part II, relating to Industrial Designs
Ways to obtain protection for design:
- National filing in Egypt.
- Application with priority claim under the Paris Convention.
- International registration through the Hague System, designating Egypt. Egypt is a member of the Hague system and acceded to the Geneva Act effective August 27, 2004
Basic Information
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Types of designs | Drawings Three-dimensional forms/models Egyptian law defines an industrial design as a composition of lines or a three-dimensional form, whether or not associated with colors, giving a special appearance of novelty and being industrially applicable |
| Novelty | Novelty is a prerequisite for protection. Public disclosure or use before filing generally destroys novelty. A limited six-month exception applies to certain disclosures made in connection with WTO/recriprocity countries, exhibitions or specified publications. |
| Multiple figures/designs | One application may include up to 50 industrial designs, provided the designs form one coherent/homogeneous unit. |
| Convention priority | 6- Convention priority: 6-month priority may be claimed under the Paris Convention. |
| Locarno Classification | The Locarno Classification is used in Egyptian industrial-design practice, although Egypt is not a party to the Locarno Agreement itself. |
| Examination | Industrial-design applications are subject to formal and substantive examination, including novelty examination. |
| Publication | Decisions concerning registration, renewal and cancellation are published in the Gazette of Trademarks and Industrial Designs. |
| Opposition | Opposition to industrial-design registration is available, with the applicable opposition period generally being two months from publication. The trademark opposition provisions are applied to designs through Article 130 of the Implementing Regulations. |
| Protection term | 10 years from the filing date. The registration may be renewed once for a further period of 5 years, giving a maximum protection period of 15 years. |
| Annuities / maintenance | Renewal should be requested during the last year of the initial 10-year protection period. |
| Grace period | 3 months after expiry. If renewal is not requested within this period, the Department may automatically revoke the registration. |
| Registration timeframe (straightforward case) | Approximately 14–18 months in ordinary cases, although actual timing may vary significantly depending on examination and administrative processing. |
Requirements
- Power of Attorney – generally legalized up to the Egyptian Consulate.
- Applicant’s name, address, nationality and legal status.
- Four copies/representations of each industrial design.
- Short description of the design.
- Deed of Assignment if the applicant is not the designer/creator.
- Commercial Register extract or certificate of incorporation for a corporate applicant.
- Certified copy of the priority document, if priority is claimed.
- Applicable Arabic translations and legalization/authentication of foreign documents.
National Legislation
- Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, Book Three, relating to Copyright and Related Rights
Basic Information
- Works Protected: The Egyptian copyright framework protects original literary, artistic and scientific works, including, among others: Literary works; Books, booklets, articles and other written works; Computer programs and software; Databases; Lectures, speeches and sermons when recorded; Dramatic and dramatic-musical works; Musical works with or without words; Audiovisual works; Architectural works; Drawings, paintings, sculpture, lithography and similar fine-art works; Photographic and similar works; Works of applied and plastic arts; Illustrations, maps, sketches and three-dimensional works relating to geography, topography and architecture; Derivative works, including translations, arrangements, compilations and other qualifying derivative creations. The title of a work may also be protected where it possesses an inventive character.
- Exceptions to Copyright Protection Copyright does not protect, among other things: Copyright does not protect, among other things: Mere ideas; Procedures and systems; Operational methods; Concepts and principles; Discoveries; Data as such; Official documents, including laws, regulations, resolutions, international conventions and court decisions; News concerning current events where such material constitutes merely press information. Creative compilations of otherwise unprotected material may themselves qualify for protection where the selection or arrangement is sufficiently creative.
- Duration of Copyright General rule: General rule: The author’s economic rights are protected during the author’s lifetime and for 50 years after death.
- Joint Works: For works of joint authorship, protection generally lasts for the lives of the co-authors and 50 years from the death of the last surviving co-author.
- Collective, Anonymous/Pseudonymous and Certain Other Works: Where the copyright holder is a legal entity, economic rights in collective works generally last for 50 years from first publication or first making available to the public, whichever comes first.
- Applied Art: Economic rights in works of applied art expire after 25 years from first publication or making available to the public, whichever comes first.
- Related Rights: Generally 50 years from first publication or making available to the public, unless the author’s identity becomes established or is disclosed, in which case the normal life-plus-50 rule applies.
- Moral Rights: The author enjoys perpetual, imprescriptible and inalienable moral rights, including the right to first publication, attribution and protection against distortion or mutilation of the work.
- Registration / Deposit: Copyright protection is not dependent on registration in the same manner as trademarks, patents or industrial designs. However, Egyptian law provides mechanisms for recording dispositions relating to copyright and related rights and for depositing works. The competent Ministry may issue a certificate for a deposited work, registered performance, sound recording or broadcast program.
- Legal Deposit: Publishers, printers and producers of works, sound recordings, performance recordings and broadcast programs are required to deposit one or more copies, up to the statutory maximum, with the designated authority. Failure to make the deposit does not itself extinguish the author’s copyright.
- Registration / Deposit Timeframe: The timeframe depends on the nature of the work and the relevant Copyright Protection Office procedure. A deposit certificate can be obtained through the competent Ministry upon completion of the applicable filing and fee requirements. The Implementing Regulations provide for applications and deposit certificates but do not establish a universal fixed statutory processing period.
Requirements
- Power of Attorney, where filing through an authorized representative.
- Appropriate Copyright Protection Office application/deposit form.
- Copy/specimen of the work or other material required for deposit.
- Applicant/author details.
- Assignment deed or other document establishing ownership/chain of title, where the applicant is not the author/right holder.
- Corporate documents, where the applicant is a legal entity.
- Applicable fee payment.
- Supporting documents relating to publication, creation or ownership, where required.
