Adams & Adams contributes to Ethiopia’s Trade Mark Law Reform Efforts

Adams & Adams has recently played a meaningful role in ongoing efforts to modernise Ethiopia’s trade mark framework, contributing technical comments and practical recommendations to a stakeholder consultation process on proposed amendments to the country’s trade mark legislation. The initiative forms part of broader intellectual property reforms being undertaken by Ethiopian authorities as the country continues to align its IP regime with international standards and evolving commercial realities.

The reform process was led by Addis Ababa University (AAU), which prepared a draft revision of Ethiopia’s Trade Mark Registration and Protection Proclamation. The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA) subsequently convened a two-day stakeholder consultation workshop in June 2026 to gather comments from practitioners and other interested parties before finalising the draft legislation.

Through our long-standing and close relationships with our trusted local partners, Adams & Adams actively participated in the review process. Our firm provided detailed comments on aspects of the draft proclamation that could affect trade mark owners and practitioners operating within Ethiopia. These comments were formally incorporated into submissions made to the consultation team. According to feedback received after the workshop, the comments provided by Adams & Adams, including those prepared by partner Stephen Hollis, were considered by both the Director General’s office and the AAU drafting team during the consultation process.

Stephen Hollis, a partner in our Trade Mark Department, identified several important practical considerations arising from the proposed amendments. In particular, he highlighted the need to ensure that amendments to the Trade Mark Proclamation are accompanied by corresponding revisions to the implementing regulations. Without such alignment, inconsistencies could emerge between the primary legislation, existing regulations and various practice directives that have been issued over the years.

Additional comments focused on filing formalities and procedural requirements for trade mark applications. Hollis noted that the proposed amendments introduced uncertainty regarding documentary requirements, including powers of attorney and supporting documents for local and foreign applicants. He encouraged the authorities to provide greater clarity and to ensure that filing requirements are applied consistently across national filings and future Madrid Protocol-related applications. The submissions also raised questions regarding the scope of priority rights extended to applicants from foreign jurisdictions, recommending that policymakers carefully consider whether the proposed provisions reflected Ethiopia’s intended international obligations.

The consultation process has been completed and the drafting team is currently reviewing stakeholder comments. At this stage, the final form of the amended proclamation remains under consideration. Importantly, stakeholders have been advised that the same drafting team will also prepare amendments to the implementing regulations to ensure that they are aligned with any changes ultimately adopted in the proclamation.

Adams & Adams will continue to monitor developments closely and continue to work closely with our local associates to provide insights on the evolving trade mark landscape. Our firm’s involvement demonstrates our commitment to supporting the development of effective and practical intellectual property systems across Africa, while ensuring that the interests of brand owners are appropriately represented during legislative reform processes.