How long does a patent last in Malta and can it be renewed indefinitely?

Under the Patents and Designs Act, Chapter 417 of the Laws of Malta, a granted patent generally provides protection for a maximum term of 20 years from the filing date of the application, and unlike trademarks, which can generally be renewed indefinitely as long as fees are paid and the mark remains in use, patent protection is not renewable beyond this fixed 20-year maximum term, reflecting the general international standard for patent protection periods rather than a Malta-specific limitation. During this 20-year period, patent holders are generally required to pay ongoing annual maintenance fees to keep the patent in force, and failing to pay these fees can result in the patent lapsing before the full term expires, so maintaining protection throughout the full term requires active ongoing management rather than a one-time registration. For certain pharmaceutical and plant protection products specifically, Malta does allow for an additional period of protection beyond the standard 20 years through a Supplementary Protection Certificate, providing up to a further five years in recognition of the lengthy regulatory approval processes these specific product categories typically require, though this specific extension mechanism would not generally apply to other types of inventions outside these particular categories.