Any interested party may oppose the grant of a patent within two months as from the date of publication. The opposition notice is submitted to the competent committee. Should no opposition against the grant of a patent be filed a decision granting the patent is issued and published in the Official Gazette. The provisions of the Patent Law stipulate that an application should be filed before the invention has become known through publication or use in Libya. Patent applications are examined closely as to form only.
Annuities are to be paid every year as from the date of the grant of the patent.
The Law provides for a grace period of six months for late payment of annuities. After the fifteen-year period, a patent can be renewed for further five years provided that the patent is of special importance or if the patentee has not been sufficiently rewarded for his invention. Annuities should be paid until the expiry of the patent protection period. The rights to a patent may be assigned or transferred through succession. The assignment of patent applications and granted patents must be made in writing.