Patent Office tightens rules for post filing amendments

The Algerian Patent Office (INAPI) has announced that it will enforce current provisions governing the amendment of patent applications more strictly in the future.

Amendments must be filed within one month from the filing date. After this, only minor corrections (not substantive amendments) are allowed. Any amendments submitted after this deadline will be rejected and excluded from examination.

Although this rule has been in existence, it marks a shift from practice in the past few years, where amendments were occasionally accepted during examination. This tightened approach will apply to new and pending applications.

To limit the effect of this ruling, it is recommended that all applications be reviewed before filing, with any amendments submitted at the time of filing. Where this is not possible, the one-month deadline must be strictly observed.