Identity area
Reference code
MT NAM CMD
Title
Date(s)
- 1800s - (Accumulation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
ca. 226 linear meters
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Commerce Department was set up towards the end of 2000, on the recommendation of the Operations Review carried out in the Ministry for Economic Services.
In 1969 Malta ratified the Universal Copyright Convention and in 1977 joined the World Intellectual Property Organisation. In 1994 Malta became a founder member of the World Trade Organisation and was thus bound by the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights as from 2000. That very same year the century old laws governing copyright, patents and trademarks were repealed and replaced by new legislation. In 2002 new legislation concerning design was also introduced.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The Commerce Department consists of the Support Services Unit, the Small Business and Crafts Unit and two directorates: the Industrial Property Registrations Directorate; the Trade Related Services and Projects Directorate. For each unit or directorate a Subfond was created to include every record which falls under it. In addition, another Subfond was created, entitled 'Legacy Regards' which pertains to records which the Commerce Department inherited from other government departments which have been dissolved. One category of files which was transferred from the Commerce Department to NAM were the files which used to belong to the Department of Trade, hence a Sub Subfond was created for these records.
At present, in this Fond one will find records pertaining to the Industrial Property Registrations Directorate (Subfonds 01): Patents (Series 01) and Designs (Series 02); and Legacy Records (Subfonds 02): Department of Trade files (Sub Subfonds 01) which were inherited by the Commerce Department.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are located in an off-site repository, thus documents will not be delivered on the same day. Kindly contact the officers in the Reading Room, who will inform you when the next delivery will take place and set an appointment accordingly.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
The catalogues for the records which fall under this Fonds are available at the Reading Room of the National Archives of Malta, Central Archive, Rabat, Malta.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
This description was prepared by Zvetlana Pace Cassar on 10/10/2023.