Plant Variety Protection

On February 3rd the application period for SME Fund began, an initiative implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) with the aim of helping small and medium-sized enterprises with the protection of IP rights. The fund offers partial reimbursements for expenses related to:

• IP Scan / IP Enforcement: up to €810 (in Portugal)

• Trademarks and Designs: up to €700

• National Patents: up to €1.500

• European Patents: up to €2.500

• Plant Variety application: €1.500

According to recent information on the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) website, the 2024 edition of the SME Fund is scheduled to be launched on January 22nd.

The Inventa IP Review magazine highlights some of the IP news of the previous year, written by our team, through opinion articles, interviews or press releases. We cover relevant topics that have marked the field of innovation, trademarks, patents or intellectual property rights.

Patents are legal instruments designed to safeguard IP and encourage innovation, as they grant patent owners exclusive rights to their inventions for a determined period, fostering an environment in which research and development can flourish.

Biological and genetic resources are often researched and collected, and the knowledge derived is applicable to useful products in several industry fields, such as agriculture, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Supported by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission, the creation of a European fund for European SMEs has been announced. With a global value of 20 million euros, this SME fund, inserted in the framework of the EUIPO “Ideas Powered for Business” initiatives, is designed to help small and medium-sized companies in developing their IP strategies and protection of their rights at national, regional or EU level. Applications open on 11 January 2021.

The Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe deposited its Instrument of Ratification of the Arusha Protocol on the Protection of New Varieties of Plants of July 6, 2015, with the Director General of ARIPO on September 29, 2020.

The Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is the second ARIPO Member State to become party to the Protocol, after Rwanda taking the lead in June last year.

Industrial Property Legislation in Mauritius is being reviewed with the aim of promoting innovation and enhancing a legal environment to be side by side with the international trends.

The recently published Industrial Property Bill, takes account of the need to modify Mauritius’ IP legislation to comply with the WTO/TRIPS Agreement in order to boost the economic and social development of the country.