Copyright in Cyprus
Copyright is a right granted to the creator of an original work to exclusive use of that work for a period of time limited by law.
In Cyprus copyright is governed by the Copyright Section of the Department of the Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver. The governing laws are: N.63/77, N.18(I)/93, N.54(I)/99, N.12 (I)/2001, N.128 (I)/2002, N.128 (i) 2004 and N.123 (I) 2006.
Copyright...
Patent Protection
A patent is a right to ownership of an invention granted to the inventor by the government. It allows the patent owner exclusive use of (and the right to license out use of) the invention in return for revealing it to the public domain. In December 1997 Cyprus entered the European Patent Organization (EPO) and became a signatory of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The Department of...
Registering a Trade Mark
A trademark is a distinctive sign or indicator that is used by a business or an individual to distinguish his goods or services from others on the market. The trademark will be unique to that business or individual and will serve to identify the source of the goods and services. A trademark may consist of: words; signs; symbols; logos; pictures; shapes; colours; letters; phrases; designs and...
Evading Difficulties When Buying Property in Cyprus
Each year hundreds of buyers are attracted to purchasing real estate on the island of Cyprus. With a system of registered land and a legal process broadly based on that of England and Wales, buying a property in Cyprus is relatively straightforward. However, as with any jurisdiction, there are a number of potential snares of which a purchaser needs to be aware in order to avoid difficulties....
The Costs of Purchasing Property in Cyprus
When buying property in Cyprus there are a number of additional costs and taxes of which every buyer should be aware prior to committing to an acquisition. It is extremely important that a potential buyer plans for and takes into account each of the following incidental costs that will occur when buying property in Cyprus.
1. LEGAL FEES
It is imperative that a buyer instructs an independent...
Distributorship Agreements
A distributorship agreement is one that is made between the supplier and distributor of goods. The relationship is different in nature to other possible models of supply such as agency or franchise.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
In deciding whether distributorship is an appropriate form of supply, a business must consider the following characteristics of the distributorship relationship:
LIABILITY
The...
Agency Agreements
In 2006 a tennis tournament sponsor sued Venus and Serena Williams for non-attendance at their event. The sponsor claimed that the tennis stars were obliged to attend by virtue of a commitment to that effect made by their father. The case rested upon whether the girls’ father had authority to bind them contractually, even without their express consent, and demonstrates the manner in which an...
Agents
The term “agent” or “agency” must be used with particular caution in Cyprus as the law attaches a special significance to an agency relationship. In some cases the term “agency” will be used in commerce where in fact, legally speaking, there is no such relationship and similarly, in some cases where common commercial jargon refers to something other than agency, in fact (legally speaking) an...
Inheritance in Cyprus
Benjamin Franklin famously declared that “in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes”. Estate planning is a sensitive issue, which many people are reluctant to address, but considering that the plans and documents you make concerning your death are likely to be some of the most important financial documents you will ever make, inheritance is a crucial legal issue which everyone must...
Product Liability in Cyprus
Consumer protection demands that producers of products are responsible for the safety of the goods they manufacture and that, in the event that they are faulty, appropriate avenues of action are available to anyone affected by the faulty goods. In Cyprus, the EU legislation governing product liability (Council Directive 85/374/EEC) has been directly implemented into Cypriot law through the...