Intellectual Property Department

The Commercial activity on the island creates the necessity to offer protection to the Intellectual Property Rights of natural and legal entities in order to validate such activity.

Due to the accession of Cyprus to the European Union as a full member on May 1st 2004, Cyprus legislation has been harmonized in order to bring the Intellectual Property Law into line with the requirements of the acquis communautaire.

Cyprus is a member to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) for the registration and protection of Trademarks and Industrial Designs within the European Community.

Cyprus has adopted the EU Directives enabling it to recognise CTM and CD Registrations. Cyprus is a party to the Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol and PCT through which international patent or trademark applications are recorded in Cyprus.

Article 2 (viii) of the World Intellectual Property Convention of 1968 defines the term “Intellectual Property” as including literary, artistic and scientific works (copyright); performances of performing artists, phonograms and broadcasts (copyright); inventions in all fields of human endeavour (patents); Scientific discoveries (patents); Industrial Designs (Industrial Designs); Trademarks, service marks and commercial names and designations (Trademarks); Protection against unfair competition and all other rights resulting from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary or artistic fields.

The firm specialises in the following IP sectors:

• • Protection of Trademarks in Cyprus;
  • Protection of Patents in Cyprus;
  • Copyrights;
  • Protection of Industrial Designs;
  • Registration and renewal of trademarks (including Community Trademarks), Patents (National, European, and International), Industrial Designs (including European Community Designs);
  • Search and investigation services;