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The various functions of the Department were for a time spread between the Customs Department and the Supreme Court of Cyprus. In 1911 the Trade Marks Section was first created at the Customs Department in Larnaca. The first Trade Mark entered on the Register was the "BEDOUIN matches". In 1921 the Patents' Section was created again at the Customs in Larnaca with the registration of the first invention, which was the SINGER sewing-machines. On 20/6/1923 the Cyprus Mines Corporation was registered as the first overseas company. In 1924 the third and most important section was created, that of Companies with the registration of the first limited liability company, the Cyprus Popular Bank Ltd, again at the Customs in Larnaca. The main Department was transferred to the Customs in Famagusta in 1925. In 1929 the fourth section of our Department was created, that of Partnerships and Business Names with the registration of the first partnership CHM Theocharides & Co on 26/4/1929 and the first Business Name D.A. Angeloudes on 3/5/1929. Much later, in 1931, the first Bankruptcy Order was issued in Nicosia. The Bankruptcy Department was set up at the Supreme Court. After the enactment of the Trade Unions Law in 1941, the Trade Unions Section was added to the Department of the Official Receiver at the Supreme Court. It was decided then that the Registrar of Trade Unions should not belong to the Labour Office because the services offered by the Registrar of Trade Unions and the Labour Office were conflicting. Thus in 1942 the ÒDepartment of the Official Receiver and Registrar of Trade UnionsÓ was created. In 1945 the sections of Companies, Partnerships, Business Names, Trade Marks and Patents were added to the Department after being transferred from the Customs Department. In 1960 the Department of the Official Receiver and Registrar came under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In 1967 new legislation on Insurance Companies was enacted and the Insurance Companies section came under the Ministry of Finance. Although the Insurance Companies are registered with the Registrar of Companies under the CompaniesÕ law they are also registered with the Office of the Registrar of Insurance Companies who has the responsibility of implementing the Insurance Companies Law. Two years later the Trade Unions section became part of the Ministry of Labour. The functions of the Department have remained unchanged ever since and 1990 it was renamed as the Department of the "Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver" and its main OBJECTIVES & FUNCTIONS fall under four Sections: a) Companies, b) Partnerships, c) Bankruptcies, d) Trade Marks, Patents and Copyright. a) The duties of the Registrar of Companies are the registration and control of Cyprus (including offshore companies) and overseas companies, Partnerships and Business Names and the implementation of the relevant Laws including the prosecution for omissions or violations. b) The duties of the Official Receiver are the receiving and administration of the assets of insolvent natural and legal persons and the distribution of the property to the creditors. c) The duties of the Registrar of Trade Marks, Patents and Copyright are the registration of Trade Marks and Patents and the implementation of the relevant Legislations. The Department is also responsible for the implementation of the Copyright Law and gives general information and advice to interested persons. It also follows up the international developments in the protection of Intellectual Property in general. |
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