Algeria Intellectual Property Services

Algeria is a member of the Paris Convention, the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Patent Law Treaty.

Patent protection is obtainable by way of a national application, in appropriate circumstances claiming convention priority, or by way of an international application under the PCT. Certificates of addition may be obtained for improvements, and divisional patents may be obtained.

Algeria is a member of the Paris Convention. Design protection may be obtained by way of a national filing. Since Algeria is a member of the Paris Convention, priority may be claimed.

Algeria is a member of the Berne Convention and the Rome Convention. The following works, if they are original, qualify for copyright protection, namely intellectual works of a literary or artistic nature, regardless of the underlying purpose of their creation or the manner of expression. These include the following:

Also protected are derivative works namely:

• translations and adaptations of works
• collections of works, collections of traditional cultural databases.

Works of traditional cultural heritage also enjoy special protection, including:

• traditional musical works and songs
• anecdotes, poems, folklore and dances
• works of popular arts, such as drawings, sculptures, carvings, pottery
• handcrafts of metal, wood, basket, textiles, jewellery.

Protection in general does not extend to ideas, concepts, principles, techniques, working procedures. Official documents also do not enjoy copyright, such as administrative laws, regulations, administrative contracts, justice rulings, etc.

Works referred to as State works, which are legally made available to the public, may be used freely subject to maintaining the integrity of the work and acknowledging the source. Such works include works produced by State institutions and public entities of an administrative nature.