Common Provisions
Article 26
1. Only the following persons may take action in connection with patent procedures:
(a) the party or rights-holder resident in Sao Tome and Principe;
(b) the industrial property agent resident in Sao Tome and Principe.
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 28 of the Industrial Property Law, if the
habitual residence or main place of activity of an applicant is located outside of Sao Tome
and Principe, he may request the Director for Industry to grant a period of one year to allow
for the indication of the name of an agent resident in Sao Tome and Principe, who shall
represent him before the National Industrial Property Service.
3. The applicant may request the Director for Industry to extend the period referred to in the
preceding paragraph.
Article 27
1. Upon submission of an application concerning any of the forms of Industrial Property, an
individual applicant resident in Sao Tome and Principe may request, in a communication
addressed to the Director for Industry, a reduction of 75% of the value of the fees due, on the
condition that he can prove that he has only modest financial resources.
2. The applicant shall not be charged a submission fee for submitting such a request.
Article 28
Failure to comply within the period established, following notification by the National Industrial
Property Service, shall be grounds for refusal of any application for Industrial Property rights.
Article 29
The periods established in the notifications, as well as those set out in this Regulation, shall be
continuous.
Article 30
Following the grant of Industrial Property rights, the service shall issue the respective documents and
deliver them to the owners, on payment of the fee due.
Article 31
The rights in the various forms of Industrial Property shall lapse:
(a) due to the expiry of the period of duration;
(b) due to failure to pay fees.
Article 32
1. Any person may consult or obtain copies of:
(a) the registrations in the various forms of Industrial Property;
(b) his files relating to a procedure, or those of third parties which are not trade secrets.
2. Any person may request searches of the documentation available at the National Industrial
Property Service.
3. The process of obtaining information, copies and certificates or the performance of a search,
shall imply the payment of the fees set out in this Regulation.
Article 33
8