Tunisia

Effective January 2, 2018, the value added tax increased in Tunisia from 18 percent to 19 percent. The increase in the VAT rate in Tunisia follows a similar increase in Lebanon, where the VAT stands at 11 percent up from a level of 10 percent. Source:  SABA IP

The President of the European Patent Office, and the Director-General of Tunisia’s National Standardization and Industrial Property Institute (INNORPI), Amel Ben Farhat, announced today that starting December 1, 2017 European Patents can be validated in Tunisia and thus regarded as national Tunisian ones. The validation agreement with Tunisia, the third to enter into force following similar agreements with Morocco and the Republic of Moldova, will bring to 43 the number of countries where an invention can be protected through the single European examination and grant procedure. Source:  EPO.org/news-issues/news/2017

Tunisia has recently approved the law related to the European Patent Validation Agreement, which will enter into force following issuance of the related implementing regulations.  The Agreement is designed to simplify patent protection in Tunisia for European Patent applicants and owners by validating the legal effects of their European patents and applications (even though Tunisia is not an EPO member state). The new law is expected to encourage more filings and more foreign investment.