Summary
Tunisia is a member of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. Designs and industrial models are protected through registration with the competent authority; the Institut National de la Normalisation et de la Propriete Industrielle (INNORPI). Such registration is effected without novelty examination at the applicant's responsibility.
A design or an industrial model registration is granted for 5, 10 or 15 years starting from the date of filing the application. A registrant for the shorter terms has the option of applying for the extension of the protection period by the maximum duration of 15 years.
A registration of a design or an industrial model is subject to cancellation in the event any interested party requests such a cancellation before the competent tribunal, provided that the contestant has also filed an application for the same design or model.
The registration, assignment and cancellation of design and industrial model registrations are published in the Al-Muwassafat quarterly gazette and entered in the designs register.
There is no provision in the current Tunisian law as to working or compulsory licensing with respect to designs and industrial models. Any infringement or unauthorized use of a registered design or industrial model is punishable under the current law in Tunisia.