Tunisia: Procedural changes in trademark applications and oppositions

The new Tunisian decree, Decree No. 2015-303, that repeals the Decree No. 2001-1603, came into force.

This decree introduced new changes regarding trademark applications and, mainly, trademark oppositions procedures.

The referred alterations are the following:

• Introduction of electronic filing of applications for the registration of trademarks;
• Establishment of provisions regarding the trademark registrations through the Madrid Protocol;
• Prevision of a 2 months period for the filing of any documentation in support of recordings of a change of name, address, ownership or assignment;
• Extension of the term during which the trademark applicant can file observations to a trademark opposition, from 45 days to two months from the date of the notification of the opposition;
• Fixation of a term of 8 months from the date of submission of observations for the parties to the trademark opposition to attempt conciliation;
• Increasing the period (from 1 to 2 months) within which the opponent may furnish proof of use of the trademark on which the opposition is based;