ARIPO

In a notice signed by the Director General of ARIPO, Bemanya Twebaze dated 31 January 2025, ARIPO announced that amendments to the Harare Protocol and Regulations will come into effect on 1 March 2025.   The Harare Protocol governs the filing of patent, utility model and industrial design applications filed at ARIPO. Patent or design applications […]

Lesotho played host to this year’s annual Session of the ARIPO Administrative Council, which took place from 28 October 2024 to 1 November 2024. The Session was officially opened by the Minister of Law and Justice, Honourable Richard Ramoeletsi and focused on how IP can be used to drive economic growth and innovation, as well […]

On 24 November 2024 the Arusha Protocol finally came into force, almost 10 years after it was first adopted in Arusha, Tanzania on 6 July 2015. The Protocol aims to create a harmonised system across contracting ARIPO member states for the protection of plant variety rights (PVR’s), enabling applicants to apply for protection with the […]

ARIPO, in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Rights & Innovation (AfrIPI) Project, recently announced the launch of the ARIPO Intellectual Property Journalists Award competition. The purpose of the competition is to recognise excellence in journalism, that creates public awareness and understanding of intellectual property rights, across the ARIPO Member States. Journalists were invited to submit […]

Earlier this month, Namibia became the first ARIPO member state to ratify the Kampala Protocol on the voluntary registration of Copyright and Related Rights. The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) recently announced that Namibia has become the first of the 22 member states to ratify the Kampala Protocol, speaking to the commitment of the […]

On 30 July 2024 ARIPO and The Southern African Development Community (SADC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding their collaboration on intellectual property matters. This was at the 7th SADC Industrialization Week in Harare, Zimbabwe. SADC is an intergovernmental community organisation, comprising of sixteen member states, namely, Angola; Botswana; Comoros; Democratic Republic of Congo; […]

ARIPO and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) have agreed to co-operate on the implementation of a bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program, which will run for five years, from 8 June 2024 to 7 June 2029. Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a program that functions based on an agreement between jurisdictions, and it […]

From 8 June 2024 to 7 June 2029, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) will be implementing a bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program in partnership with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). When using the PPH, an applicant which receives a positive examination in one jurisdiction can request expedited examination of […]

From 28 to 30 May, a three-day training session on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Enforcement for ARIPO member states was held in Nairobi, Kenya. The training, organised by ARIPO in collaboration with Intellectual Property in Africa #AfrIPI and the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), brought together IP professionals, government officials and law enforcement personnel to […]

ARIPO Director General, Mr Bemanye Twebaze, and his delegation travelled to Banjul, The Gambia for a two-day high-level mission on 6 and 7 May 2024. The discussions were aimed at the advancement of The Gambia’s socio-economic agenda through the support of the ARIPO IP system. The mission included a diplomatic engagement with the President of […]

The 2nd edition of the African Publishers Conference, hosted by ARIPO and the Zimbabwean Book Publishers Association (ZBPA), was held at the ARIPO Office in Harare, Zimbabwe from 3 to 4 June 2024. The theme was “Enhancing the Capacity of African Publishing Industry for the Promotion of Literacy”. The conference was organised by the African […]

From 8 – 10 April 2024, Director General Bemanya Twebaze of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) visited China to meet with Commissioner Shen Changyu of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). This visit aimed to strengthen the longstanding partnership between ARIPO and CNIPA, initiated in 2007, when a Memorandum of Understanding was […]

The 47th Session of the Administrative Council of ARIPO was held in Gaborone, Botswana from 20 – 23 November 2023.  Adams & Adams Partners, Nicky Garnett and Jameel Hamid, together with the Africa Practice Manager, Menzi Maboyi attended the session. Adams & Adams works closely with ARIPO and we continue to support ARIPO in its […]

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 Ministry of Justice and Attorney general’s Department in Ghana, in collaboration with ARIPO and the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI), hosted a 3-day workshop to promote intellectually property rights and innovation in ARIPO member states. AfrIPI is an international cooperation project funded and directed by the European Union, co-funded and implemented by […]

Africa Copyright and Collective Management Day is celebrated yearly on 14 September to raise awareness of Copyright and Collective Management Rights in Africa. The day was established by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Member States Collective Management Organizations, in collaboration with its partners, such as the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and […]

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 […]

On 3 – 5 May a three-day conference was held by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) in partnership with the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI), the Government of the Republic of Namibia, represented by the Business Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) and the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ). The event […]

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 […]

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), […]

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

On 23 to 24 February 2023, ARIPO (Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation) together with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation), held a regional meeting on developing the Regional Technology and Innovation Support Centres (TISCs) Network, in Harare, Zimbabwe. According to WIPO, the TISCs concept was designed by WIPO based on its Developments Agenda.  The main objective […]

Use of the ARIPO (African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation) system is on the rise and there have positive developments within the organisation, according to the 2022 statistics and highlights which it announced recently. 2022 ARIPO Highlights The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has announced that it is on a positive trajectory and posted some […]

Amendments to the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs and the Banjul Protocol on Marks, and their Implementing Regulations, came into force on 1 January 2023.  This follows the Resolutions of the ARIPO Administrative Council at its 46th Session that was held in Maputo, Mozambique, from 21 to 25 November 2022. A notable amendment […]

The 46th Session of the Administrative Council of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique from 21 to 25 November 2022. Director General, Bemanya Twebaze, has called on member states to double efforts to ensure that intellectual property be used to address challenges that include […]

The Fourth Annual Copyright Symposium for ARIPO Member and Observer States on “Shaping the Copyright and Related Rights Landscape in Africa” was held between 19 and 21 October 2022 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The meeting was a follow up on the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) virtual conference on the Nairobi Strategic Plan held last year. […]

On 22 August 2022 the Director General of ARIPO, Bemanya Twebaze, together with partners WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation), the government of Japan and the Africa University, launched the 15th cohort of the Masters in Intellectual Property Programme (MIP programme). The MIP programme plays an essential role in addressing the need for education in the […]

On 26 and 27 July, the second meeting of the ARIPO ad hoc sub-working group on geographical indications (GIs) took place in Harare, Zimbabwe. The meeting was attended (in person) by the representatives of the sub-working group from Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Two consultants recruited by AfrIPI were also present.  One consultant […]

The Namibian Industrial Property Act of 2012, which came into effect on 1 August 2018, introduced substantive examination of patent applications in Namibia. On 10 June 2022, at the Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Conference held in Ezulwini in the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding […]

After signaling its intention earlier this year to join ARIPO, the Republic of Cape Verde deposited its instruments of accession to ARIPO. The Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry, Hon. Alexandre Monteiro, presented the instruments of accession to the Director General of ARIPO, Mr Bemanya Twebaze at a ceremony held at the Embassy of Cape […]

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) is hosting a workshop on 21 and 22 June 2022 in Harare, Zimbabwe on the integration and implementation of IP tools with ARIPO member states. The EUIPO has developed IP tools in collaboration with the European Union’s member states IP offices in order to enable the offices to […]

A workshop was hosted by ARIPO and the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Project in Africa (AfrIPI) on 27 April 2022 to promote creativity and innovation for socio-economic growth of the member states through an effective intellectual property system. ARIPO Director General, Bemanya Twebaze, encouraged applicants in member states to register designs and utility models […]

The first meeting of the ARIPO ad hoc sub-working group on geographical indications (GIs) took place online on 16 June 2022. The working group comprises Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. The aim of the sub-group was to discuss a suitable legal framework for the protection of GIs in ARIPO member states and was assisted […]

A training programme for examiners of patent applications is scheduled to take place from 11 to 26 July 2022, which will be hosted in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The training programme is a partnership between The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), the Patent Examination Training programme (APERT), AfrIPI (the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation project in […]

A delegation from ARIPO, led by the Director General, Mr. Bemanya Twebaze, visited the OAPI headquarters in Yahounde from 16 to 18 May 2022.  The Director General of OAPI, Mr Denis Bohoussou, hosted the delegation for discussions on intellectual property issues as part of the work of the 6th joint commission between the two institutions. […]

Cape Verde makes progress in attracting IP investment as the ARIPO and PCT systems strengthen. CAPE VERDE ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING THE 22ND MEMBER OF ARIPO In January 2022, Parliament in Cape Verde approved the accession of the country to the Lusaka Agreement, incorporating accession to the Banjul and Harare Protocols. Parliament also approved […]

Cape Verde makes progress in attracting IP investment as the ARIPO and PCT systems strengthen. Additional Topics: THE FIRST EPO-ARIPO UNIVERSITY IP OUTREACH PROJECT LAUNCHES At the recent EPO-ARIPO heads of office meeting, a lack of understanding of IP rights and a need for infrastructure for investing in IP rights were identified as challenges in […]

On 7 January 2022, the Parliament of Cape Verde approved accession to the Lusaka Agreement. The Cape Verde Parliament also voted in favour of acceding to the  Banjul and the Harare Protocols on the same day. On 27 January 2022, it further approved  accession to the Swakopmund Protocol. Cape Verde has indicated, that the instruments of accession […]

From 10 to 12 November 2021, in collaboration with AfriIPI (Intellectual Property Rights & Innovation in Africa), ARIPO will hold a conference on geographical indications for ARIPO countries in Harare, Zimbabwe[1]. The Objective of the conference is said to define a strategy between ARIPO member states, on the creation of a legal framework for Geographical […]

On 28 October 2021, ARIPO (The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation), OAPI (African Intellectual Property Organisation) and WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organisation) held a meeting (virtually) to relaunch the Nairobi Strategic Plan on the development of Copyright and Related Rights in Africa (“the NSP”). The NSP was adopted initially in June 2019, resulting from […]

Although the Republic of Seychelle has been an approved member of ARIPO since 2019, the signature and the delivery of instrument of accession was delayed.  On 26 August 2021, President Ramkalawan of the Republic of Seychelles signed the instrument of accession to the Harare Protocol and, on 1 October 2021, the signed instrument of accession […]

During the Administrative Council meeting, the following material amendments to the Harare Protocol were tabled and approved: Filing of third-party observations: Section 2quater has been included in the protocol to provide for the filing of observations by third parties regarding patentability of inventions to which the ARIPO application relates. Previously, the Harare Protocol was silent […]

On 2 January 2022, Annexes III, IV and V of the revised Bangui Agreement entered into force, introducing significant changes to the trade mark registration process in OAPI, and changes affecting geographical indications and industrial designs.  No changes have been promulgated in respect of patents under the revised Bangui Agreement yet, although this may well […]

The Administrative Council proposed and adopted amendments to the Banjul Protocol on Marks as well as its Implementing Regulations at their Extraordinary Session and Ordinary Session that was held during the latter part of 2021. The following amendments came into force on 1 January 2022: Section 6bis which refers to the Publication and Registration procedures […]

Zimbabwe hosted the 45th Session of the Administrative Council of ARIPO from 6-8 December 2021 at Victoria Falls.  After last year’s virtual Session, this year’s Session was in a hybrid format with some of the 21 Member States and Burundi (an Observer State) attending the Session in person and a few Member States joining virtually. […]

Adams & Adams has been internationally recognised as the leading IP Firm in Africa. Over the past 10 years, Adams & Adams has established an extensive network of Associate Offices which operate in conjunction with local partners to enhance its offering in Africa. Adams & Adams continues to evolve and position itself as the first […]

The Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB) issued public notices calling for the renewal of expired trade mark registrations.  The notices, which were published in the New Vision newspaper on 25 May 2021 and 15 June 2021, call upon proprietors of expired trade mark registrations to renew their marks within 30 days from the date of […]

On 5th February 2021, Uganda published their Trademark (Amendment) Regulations No. 9 of 2021 (the Amendment))[1] which amends Trademark Regulations No.58 of 2012 (the Regulations).  The Amendment brings changes that address shortcomings to some practical aspects of the Trademarks Act No.17, 2010 (the Act) and it also aligns Uganda’s trademark practise with international trademark standards.  […]

The President of the Republic of Seychelles H.E. Wavel Ramkalawan, signed the instrument of accession to the Harare Protocol on 26th August 2021 which was received by ARIPO on 1 October 2021. As such, the Republic of Seychelles will become the 21st ARIPO Member State and with effect from 1 January 2022, applicants for ARIPO patent, design and […]

In November 2018, Yimei Hotel Management (Shenzhen) Limited (“the Applicant”) applied to register trade mark no. ZN/S/2018/461 as a service mark in class 43. The mark was published for opposition purposes and an opposition was filed against its registration by MHG IP Holding (Singapore) PTE LTD (“the Opponent”). The Opponent relied upon its earlier registration […]

Although the Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO) has welcomed the fact that its Industrial Property Automated System (IPAS) is up and running again, the Registry’s operations were severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Zimbabwe is one of the countries entering the third wave and is currently in lockdown. As such, ZIPO is operating with a […]

In December 2020, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) announced the launch of a pilot project to test a new online filing system (e-filing platform).  The initial plan was to test the system amongst 6 firms (including our local Associate office) prior to a wider launch. However, the launch has been delayed, largely due to […]

The Trade marks, Patents and Designs Registry in Nigeria recently published the first ever editions of the Patents and Design Journal. The Journals, titled Vol. 1, No. 1 and Vol. 1, No.2, were published on 17 and 26 March 2021, respectively, with opposition dates 60 days from the publication date. This is the first time […]

The Nigerian Copyright (Repeal) Bill 2015, which was approved by the Nigerian Federal Executive Council in 2018, was presented to the Nigerian National Assembly for approval and enactment into law on 6 July 2021.[1] The Copyright Bill is purported to be aimed at overhauling the copyright system in Nigeria, with the current legislation being the […]

The Anti-Counterfeit (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (Legal Notice no. 117) and the Anti-Counterfeit (Recordation) Regulations, 2021 (Legal Notice no. 118) were jointly published by the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development on 23rd July 2021. These Regulations pave way for the implementation of the proposed amendments of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous […]

Earlier this year, the Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) undertook a major system upgrade and audit of Industrial Property (IP) matters. As a result, all IP applications which were filed from January 2021 to March 2021, were only processed around mid-April 2021. However, according to a notice issued by the RDG on 4th June 2021, it has […]

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it limitations and difficulties at various levels. In order to ensure the protection and safety of public officials, the Kenyan Industrial Property Institute has suspended the Personal Trade Mark Search Service until further notice. For the time being, only official trade mark searches will be conducted. This announcement by […]

The Gambia Following the depositing its Instrument of Ratification to the Banjul Protocol on Marks on 3 May 2021, the Banjul Protocol is effective in The Gambia from 3 August 2021.[1] This means that ARIPO applications for marks may now designate The Gambia. [1] www.aripo.org/banjul-protocol-on-marks-now-effective-in-the-gambia/

ARIPO, with support of the Government of Uganda is organising a Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of the Draft Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and Related in Kampala, Uganda from the 23rd to the 24th of July 2021. Ministers from ARIPO Member States and invited practitioners will attend the Diplomatic Conference. The Protocol will establish a […]

On 25 September 2020, the Republic of Mauritius deposited its Instrument of Accession to the Lusaka Agreement with the Director General of ARIPO. The accession of Mauritius brings the total number of states who have acceded to the Lusaka Agreement to twenty. Whilst Mauritius is now a full member of ARIPO it has not yet […]