After long, the implementing regulations of the new law no. 17-97 on the Protection of Industrial Property in Morocco were published in the Official Bulletin on June 17, 2004 and entered into force on December 18, 2004. Thus, it abolished the two previous legislations on Industrial Property, the law dated October 4, 1938 governing the Tangier zone (Northern part of Morocco) and the Dahir (law) of June 23, 1916 governing the Casablanca zone (rest of Morocco). The new law foresaw that, starting from December 18, 2004, all patents, trademarks, Industrial models & designs which were registered or filed before that date, in the Casablanca zone will automatically extend protection to Tangier zone and vice versa. The amendments made brings the Moroccan law on Industrial Property into harmony with TRIPS requirements. The new law brought about a number of important amendments which comprise aspects of trademarks, patents, industrial models & Designs and add other provisions (Patentability of pharmaceutical products; protection of Layout-designs (topographies) of integrated circuits; new types of marks: service mark, certification mark and certification/collective mark; dissuasive measures in case of imitation, counterfeiting and unfair competition; trademarks are no longer protected by use and the owners of non-registered marks were granted six months grace period to have their trademarks registered in order to be protected according to the provisions of the new law; plant varieties are no longer eligible for patent protection and are governed by the law no.9/94 pertaining to the protection of plant varieties…)

A new law No. 31-05 entered into force on February 20, 2006, which amend and complete the law No. 19-97. The amendments made brings the Moroccan law on industrial property into harmony with the Patent Law Treaty (PLT), Trademark Law Treaty (TLT) and also to comply with the Free Trade Agreements signed between Morocco and other countries especially USA. The new law brought about a number of important amendments which comprise aspects of trademarks, patents, and add other provisions (the possibility to request the extension of the period of protection of a patent, new types of marks: sounds signs such as sounds, musical phrases and olfactory mark; the system of opposition has been implemented in Morocco; introduction of provisions on border measures/customs surveillance…)