Africa Ip updates

The Republic of Niger, a member state of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), has acceded to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. Niger deposited its instrument of accession with WIPO on 20 July 2026, and the Treaty will enter into […]

At the Ninth International Handicrafts Fair of Cameroon (SIARC 2026), held in Yaoundé from 27 July to 5 August, the OAPI showcased the importance of IP protection in promoting innovation and competitiveness within Africa’s craft sector. Addressing the theme of balancing tradition and modernity, OAPI highlighted the range of IP tools available to artisans – […]

OAPI has launched the fourth edition of the Africa GI Training programme in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, bringing together 18 participants from 13 member states. The programme aims to strengthen expertise in the identification, protection, management and promotion of geographical indications (GIs), through a combination of theoretical instruction, practical workshops and field visits. By building capacity […]

During the 2026 WIPO General Assemblies held in Geneva on 7-15 July, OAPI continued a series of high-level engagements aimed at strengthening international cooperation and promoting innovation across its member states. Discussions with the Francophone Intellectual Property Alliance and other institutional partners focused on leveraging IP to drive economic growth, innovation, and the valorisation of […]

The Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) launched a new online filing system, which is now accessible through the KIPI website. The e-filing platform currently supports national applications and enables users to: File patent, industrial design, and utility model (UM) applications online. Make payments related to patent, industrial design, and utility model applications. The introduction of […]

Additional Topics: Ghana has become the first African country to enter into an Accelerated Patent Grant (APG) arrangement with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), marking a significant milestone in international patent cooperation. Under the agreement, applicants who have already obtained a corresponding US patent may request accelerated grant of their Ghanaian patent […]

Additional Topics: Amendments to the Namibian Industrial Property Regulations came into effect on 1 July 2026, introducing changes to the payment of official filing fees. For trade marks, patents and industrial designs, the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) has consolidated the application, publication, registration and certificate fees into a single fee payable at the […]

Additional Topics: Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at combating drug trafficking and copyright piracy through enhanced inter-agency cooperation. The partnership recognises the increasing link between organised criminal networks and IP offences, with both agencies committing to intelligence sharing, joint […]

Additional Topics: On 24 June 2026, Tunisia’s IP office, the National Institute for Standardization and Industrial Property  (INNORPI), launched its digital industrial property system. With the introduction of the new system, INNORPI has transitioned from predominantly providing services in person to online. Effective from the launch date, the digital platform enables the electronic filing of […]

Additional Topics: Following the entry into force of Cape Verde’s new Intellectual Property Code, the calculation of a trade mark registration’s term has been amended. Trade mark registrations will now be valid for 10 years from the filing date of the application, rather than from the date of grant, and may be renewed indefinitely for […]

Additional Topics: Sierra Leone has taken a significant step towards modernising its IP regime following Parliament’s unanimous ratification of several key international IP treaties and protocols in July 2026. The ratified instruments include the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks, the Trademark Law Treaty (Geneva), the Banjul Protocol on Marks administered by ARIPO, the […]

Towards the end of July, Adams & Adams Partner, Eugene Honey, and Africa Practice Manager, Menzi Maboyi, travelled to Gaborone to visit our Associate Office, other local partners and the Companies and Intellectual Property Agency (CIPA). At CIPA, we were warmly welcomed by the Assistant IP Registrar, Ms Malebogo Selemogo, and the Patents Officer, Mr […]

Kenya’s Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry recently published a draft National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS) for public comment. If adopted and implemented, the NIPPS will reshape Kenya’s IP ecosystem through legislative reform, expanded commercialisation support, enhanced institutional coordination and increased emphasis on IP as a driver of economic development. The draft sets […]

The administration of IP in Kenya is currently fragmented. The KIPI administers patents, trade marks, utility models and industrial designs under the Industrial Property Act and the Trade Marks Act. The KECOBO administers copyright under the Copyright Act, while the ACA is responsible for combating counterfeiting under the Anti-Counterfeit Act. The Kenya Intellectual Property Bill […]

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), with support from the Japan Patent Office, convened the annual Regional Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) Network Meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 29 and 30 June 2026. Participants highlighted the strategic value of patent information as a tool for research, […]

On 13 July 2023, Mozambique’s Minister of Foreign Affairs deposited the instrument of accession, signifying Mozambique’s accession to the Vienna Agreement Establishing an International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (“the Vienna Agreement”).  The Vienna Agreement will enter into force in the Republic of Mozambique on 13 October 2023. The Vienna Agreement, adopted in […]

The 2023 Netball World Cup was hosted in Cape Town, South Africa from 28 July to 6 August 2023.  It has been a landmark event for the continent as this is the first time that this World Cup was hosted in Africa. As with the FIFA Soccer World Cup that was hosted by South Africa […]

For those who may not be aware, in the last year, the plant-based food industry has come under fire in South Africa over using descriptive terms such as “burger”, “nugget” and “sausage” in relation to meat analogue products.  In South Africa, meat analogue products are foodstuffs that approximate the aesthetic qualities, which include the primary […]

Plain packaging for tobacco products? The Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill has also been published for public comment.  As with the version of the Bill published in 2018, the Bill seeks, inter alia, to empower the Minister to make regulations that will, effectively, introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.  Although the deadline […]

On 21 April 2023, the Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs (“the Regulations”) were published in the Government Gazette for public comment.  The Regulations propose a substantial departure from South Africa’s current labelling regulations set out in R146.  The Regulations introduce, for example, substantive changes to date marking and batch identification, as […]

The Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Bill, 2023 (“the Amendment Bill”) was, on 12 July 2023, passed into law in Ghana.  The passing of the Narcotics Bill is a significant event as authorises the Minister of Interior to issue licenses permitting, in Ghana, the cultivation of cannabis, as well as the exploration of the properties of […]

The ninth edition of African Exhibition of Invention and Innovative Enterprise (“Saiit”) was held in held Côte d’Ivoire on 24 to 26 July 2023.  The Saait’s theme shining the spotlight on intellectual property, innovation and entrepreneurship. The Saiit, which is organised by OAPI, is held every two years and OAPI member states take turns hosting […]

New legislation has been proposed in Ghana, the purpose of which is to establish a new Industrial Property Office in Ghana.  The Ghana Industrial Property Office Bill, 2023 (“the Bill”) is currently pending before Parliament and has a way to go in the parliamentary process before the Bill can be assented to by the President. […]

The much-anticipated 2023 Netball World Cup is headed to Cape Town, South Africa from 28 July to 6 August 2023 and will be the first Netball World Cup to take place on the African continent. Hitting the headlines this week was the news that Discovery has withdrawn Vitality as the title sponsor of the event, […]

In following on the successful operations shutting down a manufacturing plant of counterfeit oil and lubricant products in 2022 (previous publication at: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jan-harm-swanepoel-563534136_adams-anti-counterfeiting-team-deals-another-activity-6963798312311271424-JGHP?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios), our Anti-Counterfeiting team assisted the Police and the National Prosecuting Authority to achieve successful criminal convictions of the Accused persons. Both the Accused persons were convicted for contravening the Immigration Act and […]

Cabinet ministers of the Zimbabwean government considered and approved the establishment of a Deeds, Companies, and Intellectual Property Authority of 6th June 2023, which is to be a semi-autonomous entity. Previously, in October 2022, the Cabinet had approved principles that sought to separate the Company and Intellectual Property section from the Department of Deeds. Cabinet […]

The headquarters of the first ever African Medicines Agency (AMA) is to be established in Kigali, Rwanda. Agreement to this effect was concluded between the Rwanda and the African Union Commission (AUC) on 10 June 2023. This marks a further step towards making the Agency operational. Rwandan Minister of Health, Sabin Nsanzimana, indicated that the […]

A cooperation agreement between OAPI and the Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI) was signed on 31 May 2023. This reflects a renewal of the collaboration between these institutions, with a view to addressing current issues faced by OAPI. Current issues that OAPI would like to see addressed include the construction of an intellectual […]

With effect from 1 June 2023, Ms Norah Ratemo has been appointed as the new Acting Managing Director of the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI). The appointment marks the end of Mr John Onyango’s tenure as Acting Managing Director of KIPI which began on 1 December 2019. The last permanently appointed MD of KIPI was […]

Mr. Woldu Yemessel Baraki was appointed as the new Director General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA) in April 2023.  Mr. Weldu holds a law degree and he previously managed Fana Broadcasting Corporate, an Ethiopian media company. He is taking over responsibility as the new Director General of the EIPA from Mr Ermias Yemanebirhan […]

the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), In collaboration with Mauritius’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Industrial Property Office of Mauritius (IPOM) and Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI), hosted a workshop from 31st May to 2nd June 2023 to promote the accession to more ARIPO IP Protocols by ARIPO Member States. The […]

The heads of Intellectual Property (IP) offices of the ARIPO Member States convened in Kigali, Rwanda, for the Heads of IP Offices Conference (HIPOC). The conference, which was being held for a second time and has become an annual event, took place from 6-8 June 2023. It was organized by the African Regional Intellectual Property […]

The Republic of South Sudan, commonly known as South Sudan, gained independence from the Republic of Sudan on 09 July 2011. South Sudan is a relatively new country and is in the process of developing and passing most of its legislations. For example, the country does not have any enacted legislation governing the protection of […]

Between the dates of 22 – 26 May 2023 a mission took place in Friguiagbé, Kindia being the geographical area of the Baroness of Guinea. As part of the second phase of the PAMPIG II, a Support Project for the Implementation of Geographical Indications, Baroness from Guinea is one of the products that will enjoy […]

The Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2023 (BFA) was promulgated on 14th of February 2023, which had a causal effect on various laws, including the Nigerian Trade Marks Act 1965. The BFA amended the definition of “goods” in the Trade Marks Act, to include “services”, thereby expanding the scope of protection under the law and […]

On 14 February 2023 the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2023 (BFA) was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Act is aimed at facilitating business operations and promoting the ease of doing business in Nigeria. The BFA made amendments to 21 business facilitation laws and also brought about changes to the Nigerian Trade […]

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has taken a hard line against infringement of literary works by enforcing harsher penalties as part of its national anti-piracy campaign. Mr John Asien, the NCC Director-General, addressed the need to increase enforcement, as well as having the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure the protection of copyright, during a […]

During the recent trip to Cape Verde in April 2023, Bemanya Twebaze, Director General of ARIPO, also took the time to visit to the facilities of the Operational Centre of the Information Society (NOSI) in Praia. The Director General indicated that he was very satisfied with the work the institute has done to promote digital […]

Female attorneys, magistrates, judges and prosecutors gathered during the week of 24 to 28 April 2023 at various High Courts and Advocates’ Chambers, to celebrate the centenary of the promulgation of the Women Legal Practitioners Act of 1923, that allowed for the admission of women to the legal profession in South Africa. One of these […]

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) confirmed the deposit by the Government of the Republic of Tunisia, on 6 April 2023, of its instruments of accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications, which was adopted at Geneva on 20 May 2015. The […]

The Anti-Counterfeit Authority of Kenya (ACA) and Uganda’s Anti-Counterfeit Network (ACN Africa) have signed a memorandum, to fight against the distribution of counterfeit goods across the East African region. According to the World Economic Forum’s estimates, illicit trade currently deprives the global economy of USD 2.2 Trillion annually. The ACN confirmed that Uganda, on its […]

The Director General of ARIPO, Bemanya Twebaze, met with key government stakeholders during his visit to Cape Verde in April 2023. Aside from the Prime Minister, he also engaged with H.E Alexandre Dias Monteiro (Minister of Industry, Trade & Energy), H.E Dr. Rui Alberto Figueiredo Soares (the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation & Regional Integration), […]

On 26 April 2023 Lesotho commemorated World Intellectual Property Day. The day was established by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in 2000 and has since been celebrated annually by its members. The celebration is aimed at creating awareness of the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) and to encourage innovation and creativity in the field […]

The Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has, in partnership with Terik Essential Programs Agency for Development (TEPAD), created a deworming porridge which formed part of an initiative of the Terik Community’s schools. The product, Ujiplus, is a porridge consisting of herbal deworming properties derived from the community’s traditional herbal practices. The community sought to partner […]

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) which provides various health research grants to 15 universities across South Africa hosted a meeting with 65 grant holders. The SAMRC has committed over 70% of its research grant budget to previously disadvantaged institutions with a view to fostering development in these institutions by fast-tracking the transition of […]

The Zimbabwean cabinet has approved the principles of the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe Bill. The approval of the principles of the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe Bill by cabinet was announced on 11 October 2022. The Bill will provide for the establishment of the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of […]

Uganda capped off its National Intellectual Property Week by highlighting the strides it has taken to broaden the protection afforded to intellectual property (IP). Uganda capped off its National Intellectual Property Week by highlighting the strides it has taken to broaden the protection afforded to intellectual property (IP) in the last few decades and the […]

ACCESSION TO THE WIPO COPYRIGHT TREATY AND WIPO PERFORMANCES AND PHONOGRAMS TREATY On 16 March 2023, Tunisia acceded to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, both of which will enter into force in the Republic of Tunisia on 16 June 2023. According to the WIPO website, […]

MultiChoice, a large African broadcasting company, has recently been flexing its intellectual property protection clout against pirates. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)meets with various health research leaders to further support their development. A new initiative has been created to improve entrepreneurial development across Southern Africa.

A new initiative has been created to improve entrepreneurial development across Africa through a joint collaboration between the World Bank and the South African departments of Science and Innovation (DSI) and Small Business Development.

An urgent meeting was held at the Patents and Designs Registry on March 9, 2023 between the Chief Registrar, Officials of the Registry and Nigerian Agents to discuss certain aspects of filing processes within the Registry which have been reviewed.

The Anti-Counterfeit Authority of Kenya launched its third strategic plan amidst also celebrating its re-certification of ISO standards related to Quality Management Systems Certification.

Adams & Adams was welcomed by the Director General of ARIPO during a courtesy visit to the ARIPO offices, along with BMatanga Intellectual Property Attorneys.

Adams & Adams Partner and Head of our Anti-Counterfeiting Department, Godfrey Budeli, recently met with Dr Robi Mbugua Njoroge, the current CEO of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), together with the ACA Management, Legal and Compliance, Investigations and Recordation teams at the ACA’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Discussions focused on the ACA’s readiness with the impending […]