Country Data
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Kingdom of Morocco |
| Capital | Rabat |
| Area | 446,550 sq. km |
| Population | 38,430,770 (2025 estimate, World Bank) |
| Official Language | Arabic and Amazigh |
| GDP | Approximately US$182.4 billion (2025, current US$; World Bank data) |
| Currency | Moroccan Dirham (MAD / MAD) |
| Work Days | Monday – Friday |
Conventions/ Treaties
- Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property – effective since July 30, 1917.
- Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks – effective since July 30, 1917.
- Madrid Agreement for the Repression of False or Deceptive Indications of Source on Goods – effective since July 30, 1917.
- Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works – effective since June 16, 1917.
- Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs – Morocco has been a member since October 20, 1930. Morocco acceded to the 1960 Hague Act and the Stockholm Act in 1999 and acceded to the Geneva Act of 1999, effective July 22, 2022.
- Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks – effective since October 1, 1966.
- WIPO Convention – effective since July 27, 1971.
- Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol – effective since November 11, 1993.
- Madrid Protocol – effective since October 8, 1999.
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) – effective since October 8, 1999.
- Trademark Law Treaty – effective since July 6, 2009.
- WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) – effective since July 20, 2011.
- WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) – effective since July 20, 2011.
- Marrakesh Treaty – effective since August 15, 2019.
- Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances – effective since July 22, 2022.
- Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs – effective since July 22, 2022.
- Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks – effective since July 22, 2022.
National Legislation
- Law No. 17-97 on the Protection of Industrial Property, promulgated by Dahir No. 1-00-91 of February 15, 2000, as amended and supplemented, including by Law No. 31-05 and Law No. 23-13. The law covers trademarks, service marks, trade names, geographical indications, industrial designs, patents and other industrial-property rights.
- Decree No. 2-00-368 implementing Law No. 17-97, as amended and supplemented, including by Decree No. 2-05-1485 and subsequent regulations.
- Law No. 13-99 establishing the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC), as amended, which provides the institutional framework for the administration of industrial property in Morocco.
Basic Information
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Creation of rights | Trademark rights are principally acquired through registration. The first applicant/earlier filing generally receives priority, subject to statutory protection for earlier rights, well-known marks and other protected rights. The law also provides mechanisms for challenging registrations that infringe earlier rights. |
| Basis for filing | Prior commercial use is not generally required before filing a trademark application. However, genuine use becomes relevant after registration because a mark may be vulnerable to revocation for non-use for an uninterrupted period of five years without legitimate reason. |
| Well-known marks | Well-known trademarks receive protection against conflicting marks under the Paris Convention standards. Owners of earlier well-known marks may oppose conflicting applications and may seek cancellation in appropriate circumstances. |
| Types of marks | Protection is available for trademarks and service marks. A mark may include words, names, letters, numerals, figurative elements and other signs capable of distinguishing goods or services, subject to the statutory requirements. |
| Priority | A 6-month priority period is available under the Paris Convention for trademarks and service marks. The priority declaration must be made when filing in Morocco, with supporting priority documentation generally required within three months. |
| Madrid System | Morocco has been a member of the Madrid Agreement since July 30, 1917 and of the Madrid Protocol since October 8, 1999. International registrations designating Morocco are examined under Moroccan law. |
| Filing system | Trademark applications may be filed electronically through the Moroccan industrial-property system. |
| Classification | The Nice Classification is used for the classification of goods and services. Morocco has been party to the Nice Agreement since October 1, 1966. |
| Who can be Applicant | Natural persons and legal entities may apply. Applicants without domicile, headquarters or an industrial/commercial establishment in Morocco generally must appoint an agent domiciled or established in Morocco. |
| Examination | Trademark applications undergo examination for formal requirements and absolute grounds of refusal. The law also protects earlier rights, including earlier registered marks, well-known marks, trade names, protected geographical indications, industrial designs and certain copyright/personality rights. |
| Publication | Accepted trademark applications are published in the Official Catalogue of Trademarks maintained by OMPIC. |
| Opposition period | Opposition may be filed within 2 months from publication of the trademark application. For international trademarks, the applicable period runs from the first day of the month following receipt of the international trademark bulletin by OMPIC. |
| Opposition procedure | The opposition is handled administratively by OMPIC. The applicant generally has two months to respond. Where responses and observations are exchanged, additional one-month periods may apply. OMPIC normally issues a reasoned decision within six months following expiry of the initial two-month opposition period, subject to possible extensions. |
| Duration of registration | 10 years from the filing date, renewable indefinitely for successive 10-year periods. |
| Renewal | Renewal may be requested during the six months preceding expiry. |
| Renewal grace period | A 6-month grace period is available after expiry, subject to the prescribed additional fees. |
| Use requirement | A registered trademark may be subject to revocation for lack of genuine use for an uninterrupted period of 5 years, absent legitimate reason. Use by an authorized licensee and certain forms of use for export purposes may qualify as genuine use. |
| Registration timeframe | There is no single statutory processing period that applies to every application. Straightforward applications can proceed relatively quickly where no objections or oppositions arise, while examination, publication, opposition and administrative processing may extend the overall period. The two-month opposition period must be taken into account before registration can become final. |
Search
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Search | Trademark searches are available through OMPIC’s trademark databases and official catalogue. |
| Scope of search | Searches may be conducted against existing applications and registrations to identify identical or potentially conflicting marks. |
| Turnaround time | Search timing depends on the type of search and the service requested. OMPIC provides electronic databases and official trademark information services rather than prescribing a universal statutory search turnaround period |
Ways to obtain protection
- Filing a national trademark application in Morocco, with or without a Paris Convention priority claim.
- Filing through the Madrid System, designating Morocco
Documentary Requirements
New Applications
- Trademark application form.
- Applicant’s name, address, nationality and legal status.
- Representation of the trademark.
- List/specification of goods and/or services and relevant Nice classes.
- Power of Attorney, where the application is filed through a representative.
- Priority declaration and certified priority document, where priority is claimed.
- Identification and supporting documents required by OMPIC for the applicant or representative.
- Proof of payment of the applicable official fees.
- Any additional documents required by the implementing regulations or by OMPIC depending on the nature of the application.
Renewal of Registration
- Renewal application.
- Trademark registration details/certificate.
- Power of Attorney, where filed through a representative.
- Proof of payment of renewal fees.
- Additional fee/payment for renewal during the six-month grace period, where applicable.
Change of Name / Address Recordation
- Application for recordal of the change.
- Power of Attorney, where filed through a representative.
- Certificate/document evidencing the change of name or address.
- Corporate documents or commercial-register documentation reflecting the change, where applicable.
- Copy of the trademark registration details/certificate.
- Applicable official fees.
Assignment Recordation
- Recordal application.
- Deed of Assignment signed by the relevant parties.
- Power of Attorney from the assignee, where applicable.
- Corporate documents of the assignee, where applicable.
- Copy of the trademark registration details/certificate.
- Applicable fees and supporting documentation.
Merger Recordation
- Recordal application.
- Merger agreement, certificate or equivalent corporate document.
- Commercial Register/corporate documentation reflecting the merger.
- Power of Attorney, where applicable.
- Copy of the trademark registration details/certificate.
- Applicable fees and supporting documentation.
License Recordation
- Recordal application.
- Trademark license agreement.
- Power of Attorney, where applicable.
- Copy of the trademark registration details/certificate.
- Corporate documents, where applicable.
- Applicable fees and supporting documents.
- Acts transferring, modifying or otherwise affecting trademark rights are subject to recordal requirements under Moroccan industrial-property law.
National Legislation
- Law No. 17-97 on the Protection of Industrial Property, as amended and supplemented, including by Law No. 31-05 and Law No. 23-13. The law governs invention patents and related industrial-property rights
Ways to obtain patent protection:
- National filing in Morocco.
- PCT national phase application in Morocco.
- Convention application claiming priority under the Paris Convention
Basic Information
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Claims admissible for | Product inventions; Process/method inventions; New applications or combinations of known means that satisfy the statutory patentability requirements. Moroccan law expressly permits protection of products, processes and certain new applications/combinations of known means. |
| Patentability requirements | The invention must generally be: New/novel; Involve an inventive step; and be industrially applicable. |
| Novelty requirement | Morocco applies a generally worldwide/state-of-the-art novelty standard. Prior art includes material made available to the public by written or oral description, use or other means before the relevant filing date or validly claimed priority date. A limited six-month exception applies to certain disclosures arising from abuse or recognized international exhibitions. |
| Convention priority | Available – 12 months under the Paris Convention for patents. The priority declaration must be made when filing in Morocco and supporting documentation must generally be supplied within three months. |
| PCT national phase entry deadline | Generally 30 months from the relevant priority date, subject to the applicable PCT and Moroccan procedural requirements. |
| Search | OMPIC provides an online patent search service covering published and granted Moroccan patent applications. Searches can be conducted using keywords, classifications and bibliographic information such as applicant, inventor and filing date. |
| Examination | Morocco uses a search and examination system. OMPIC establishes a preliminary search report together with an opinion on patentability. The applicant has three months from notification of the preliminary report to amend claims or submit observations. A final search report is subsequently prepared taking into account the relevant observations and amended claims. |
| Publication | A patent application is generally published after 18 months from the filing date or applicable priority date. |
| Third-party observations | Morocco does not have a formal patent opposition system. However, after publication, third parties may submit observations concerning the patentability/validity criteria within 2 months of publication. The applicant is given two months to respond, if desired. |
| Protection term | 20 years from the filing date. Moroccan law also contains provisions allowing certain extensions, including in specified circumstances involving delayed grant and pharmaceutical authorization. |
| Annuity payment | Maintenance/renewal fees are payable to maintain patent rights. |
| Grace period for late annuity payment | A 6-month additional period is available for late payment, subject to the applicable surcharge. Failure to pay within that period can result in loss of rights. In certain circumstances, reinstatement may be requested within three months from notification of the loss-of-rights decision. |
| Working / Compulsory License | Moroccan law contains provisions dealing with compulsory licenses and insufficient exploitation of patents, together with licenses in the public interest and other statutory circumstances. The specific conditions depend on the relevant statutory provision and circumstances of the patent. |
| Patent grant timeframe | The statutory procedure involves an 18-month publication period, preliminary search/opinion, applicant response periods and preparation of a final search report. Consequently, there is no single universal grant timeframe. Actual prosecution depends on examination results, amendments, objections and administrative processing. |
Requirements
- Power of Attorney, where filing through a representative.
- Applicant’s name, address, nationality and legal status.
- Inventor’s name and relevant details.
- Patent specification.
- Claims.
- Abstract.
- Drawings, where applicable.
- Priority declaration and priority document, where priority is claimed.
- Assignment/declaration of entitlement where the applicant is not the inventor or where required.
- Corporate documentation, where applicable.
- Arabic/French documentation or translations where required by the filing procedure.
- Payment of applicable filing, search, grant and maintenance fees.
For PCT national phase application:
- Power of Attorney, where applicable.
- Copy/details of the PCT international application.
- International publication details.
- International Search Report and related PCT documents, where applicable.
- International Preliminary Report on Patentability / International Preliminary Examination Report, where applicable.
- Required national-language translations.
- Priority documentation, where required.
- Assignment or entitlement documents, where applicable.
- Applicant and inventor details.
- Payment of national-phase and applicable.
National Legislation
- Law No. 17-97 on the Protection of Industrial Property, as amended and supplemented, most recently by Law No. 23-13, relating to industrial designs and models
Ways to obtain protection for design:
- National filing in Morocco before the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC).
- Application with priority claim under the Paris Convention. Morocco is a member of the Paris Convention. A six-month priority period applies to industrial designs and models. The priority declaration must be made at the time of filing in Morocco, and supporting priority documents must generally be submitted within three months.
- International registration through the Hague System, designating Morocco. Morocco has been a member of the Hague System since 1999 and acceded to the 1999 Geneva Act effective July 22, 2022. Morocco is therefore available as a designated jurisdiction under the Geneva Act.
Basic Information
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Types of designs | Drawings Three-dimensional forms/models Moroccan law defines an industrial design as an assembly of lines or colors, and an industrial model as a three-dimensional form, whether or not associated with lines or colors, provided that it gives a special appearance to an industrial or handicraft product and can serve as a pattern for manufacturing such a product. The design/model must differ from similar designs by a distinct and recognizable configuration giving it novelty or by external features giving it a specific and new appearance. |
| Novelty | Novelty is a prerequisite for protection. A design is new if it has not been made available to the public by advertising or any other means before the filing date or validly claimed priority date. A six-month exhibition exception applies where the design was first displayed during the six months preceding filing at an official or officially recognized international exhibition held in one of the countries of the Paris Union. |
| Multiple figures/designs | One application may include up to 50 industrial designs or models, provided that they are of the same kind/category. |
| Convention priority | Six-month Convention priority may be claimed under the Paris Convention. The priority declaration must be made when filing in Morocco, with supporting documents generally due within three months. |
| Locarno Classification | Morocco is a party to the Locarno Agreement. It acceded on April 22, 2022, and the Agreement entered into force for Morocco on July 22, 2022. The Locarno Classification is therefore used as the international classification framework for industrial designs in Morocco. |
| Examination | Moroccan industrial-design applications are not subject to prior substantive examination for novelty. Once the filing satisfies the applicable formal requirements and is not subject to rejection under the law, the design is registered without prior examination as to substance. |
| Publication | OMPIC publishes an official catalogue of registered industrial designs and models, including relevant registration and register information. |
| Opposition | Unlike trademarks, the Moroccan industrial-design legislation does not provide a general pre-registration opposition procedure for industrial designs. Third parties may, however, challenge the validity of a registration through the applicable judicial mechanisms. In particular, an interested party may invoke invalidity where registration violates the statutory requirements concerning the subject matter, novelty or excluded designs. |
| Protection term | Registration initially lasts for 5 years from the filing date. It may be renewed for four additional consecutive periods of 5 years, giving a maximum protection period of 25 years. |
| Annuities / maintenance | Renewal must be requested during the six months preceding expiry of the current five-year period. |
| Grace period | A six-month grace period is available after expiry for renewal. Renewal takes effect from the expiry date of the preceding registration period. |
| Registration timeframe (straightforward case) | The Moroccan system is primarily a formal-registration system, rather than a substantive examination system. Consequently, registration can occur relatively quickly once the application is formally compliant. However, the legislation does not prescribe a single universal statutory period equivalent to a fixed 14–18 month examination period. Applications with deficiencies may receive a period of three months to regularize, with an additional period available in specified circumstances. |
Requirements
- Application form (D1) prescribed by OMPIC.
- Graphic or photographic reproductions of the industrial design/model, generally in three copies.
- Brief description of the design/model, where applicable, generally in three copies.
- Power of Attorney, where filing through a representative. OMPIC indicates that a power of attorney is mandatory for corporate applicants and non-residents when represented.
- Applicant’s name, address and legal status, as applicable.
- Proof of payment of the prescribed filing fees.
- Priority declaration and supporting priority document, if Convention priority is claimed. The declaration is made at filing and supporting documentation is generally due within three months.
- Documents establishing entitlement/ownership, where the applicant is not the creator, as applicable.
- Local representative/address for service, where required for a foreign applicant without domicile, headquarters or an industrial/commercial establishment in Morocco.
National Legislation
- Law No. 2-00 on Copyright and Related Rights, promulgated by Dahir No. 1-00-20 of February 15, 2000, as amended and supplemented, including by Law No. 34-05 and Law No. 79-12.
- The institutional framework of the Moroccan Copyright and Related Rights Office (Bureau Marocain des Droits d’Auteur et Droits Voisins – BMDA) is additionally governed by Law No. 25-19 of 2022
Basic Information
- Works Protected: Moroccan copyright law protects original intellectual creations in the literary and artistic field, including, among others: Literary and written works; Computer programs; Lectures, addresses and sermons; Musical works, with or without accompanying words; Dramatic and dramatico-musical works; Choreographic and mimed works; Audiovisual and cinematographic works; Drawings, paintings, engravings, lithographs and other fine-art works; Architectural works; Photographic works; Works of applied art; Illustrations, maps, plans and sketches; Three-dimensional works relating to geography, topography, architecture or science; Expressions of folklore and works inspired by folklore; and Drawings of creations in the garment industry. The protection is independent of the form or mode of expression, quality or purpose of the work.
- Derivative works and compilations: Translations, adaptations, musical arrangements and other transformations may be protected. Collections, encyclopaedias, anthologies and databases may also qualify where the selection, coordination or arrangement constitutes an intellectual creation.
- Title of a work: An original title of a work is protected in the same manner as the work itself.
- Exceptions to Copyright Protection: Copyright does not protect, among other things: Official legislative, administrative or judicial texts, or their official translations; News/current events as such;
- Ideas; Processes; Systems; Operating methods; Concepts and principles; Discoveries; and Simple data. The exclusion applies even where such matters are described, explained, illustrated or incorporated into a work.
- Duration of Copyright – General Rule: Economic rights are protected during the author’s lifetime and for 70 years after the author’s death.
- Joint/Collaborative Works: For collaborative works, economic rights generally last for the life of the last surviving author plus 70 years.
- Anonymous/Pseudonymous Works: Copyright generally lasts for 70 years from the end of the calendar year of first lawful publication, subject to the statutory rules concerning later identification of the author.
- Collective and Audiovisual Works: Economic rights generally last for 70 years from the end of the calendar year of first lawful publication, or, in specified circumstances, from making available to the public or creation.
- Applied Art: Works of applied art are protected for 70 years from the end of the calendar year of first authorized publication, or, if no authorized publication occurs within 50 years of creation, 70 years from the end of the year of creation.
- Related Rights: Performances, phonograms and broadcasts are generally protected for 70 years, subject to the specific starting points and statutory rules applicable to each category.
- Moral Rights: Moral rights are unlimited in duration, imprescriptible and inalienable. They include the right to claim authorship, the right to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym, and the right to object to distortion, destruction or other modification prejudicial to the author’s honor or reputation.
- Registration / Deposit: Copyright protection is automatic and does not depend on registration as a condition of protection. The existence of copyright is presumed in the absence of proof to the contrary. The BMDA is responsible for the administration and collective management of copyright and related rights.
- Legal Deposit: Morocco has a separate legal-deposit regime for published materials. The obligation can apply to publishers or, in certain circumstances, printers/producers of printed, graphic, photographic, sound, audiovisual, multimedia, database and software materials. Legal deposit is declaratory in nature and does not replace special administrative or judicial deposits.
- Registration / Deposit Timeframe: Since copyright protection itself arises automatically and no registration is required as a condition of protection, there is no universal statutory copyright-registration processing period comparable to the registration of an industrial design. Any administrative procedure with the BMDA should therefore be distinguished from the existence of copyright itself.
Filing Requirements
- Author/right holder details.
- Copy or specimen of the work, where an administrative deposit or evidentiary filing is made.
- Description/title of the work.
- Evidence of authorship and/or creation, where relevant.
- Assignment deed or other document establishing ownership/chain of title, where the applicant/right holder is not the original author.
- Corporate documents, where rights are held by a legal entity.
- Power of Attorney, where an authorized representative is acting on behalf of the right holder.
- Publication/creation information, where relevant to determining the duration of protection or establishing priority of ownership.
- Legal-deposit materials, where the work falls within the separate Moroccan legal-deposit regime. Legal deposit should not be treated as a prerequisite for copyright protection.
