Liberia

Recent developments in Liberia highlight targeted measures to strengthen IP protection and commercialisation in the sports sector. Important Topics LIBERIA WAIVES IP FEES FOR THE SPORTS SECTOR The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), has introduced a one month waiver of administrative fees for IP registrations by sports stakeholders, with immediate effect. The initiative aims to […]

Important Topics Liberia launches National IP capacity‑building workshop to strengthen rights protection Liberia’s Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) recently ran a three-day training programme in February to improve the country’s understanding and management of IP. The initiative brought together more than 150 individuals from the creative industries, business community and wider private sector for in-depth sessions […]

Liberia’s President, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, has signalled that Liberia will sign and ratify the Arusha Protocol, which seeks to protect new plant varieties, and the Kampala Protocol, which allows for the voluntary registration of copyright. This commitment forms part of the current administration’s focus on developing a robust national intellectual property policy and in support […]

The last month has seen multiple countries on the African continent leading the charge against copyright infringers and content pirates. This includes announcements by the Commerce Ministry in Liberia, as well as the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Ethiopia between MultiChoice® Africa, the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Sport (MOCS), as well […]

In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry warned Liberian businesses against the unauthorised commercial use of copyrighted works. In doing so, the Ministry cited widespread violations of the country’s Intellectual Property Act and emphasised that suitable licences must be obtained before making use of any copyrighted works. To reinforce Liberia’s commitment to its […]

Ahead of World Intellectual Property Day, the Liberian government hosted a National Intellectual Property Conference to reinforce its commitment to explore the role of intellectual property in achieving the country’s national development goals. Specifically, the office of the President expressed that the President wishes to host a National Intellectual Property Summit to engage in discussion […]

The sad reality is that in many African countries, access to cheap goods is often prioritised over products’ origin and, as a result, counterfeit goods have gained an enormous foothold in the continent. Unfortunately, the failure of local governments to address this, has the devastating effect of undermining IP laws and ultimately making countries less […]

Counterfeit goods have gained a substantial foothold in the African continent where access to cheap goods is often prioritised over their origin and quality. Their ubiquitous proliferation and failure to adequately combat intellectual property (IP) piracy has a knock-on effect of undermining IP laws, making those economies which fail to take action less attractive for […]

The Copyright Society of Liberia (COSOL), responsible for the protection and promotion of creative works, as well as, amongst other things, the collection and distribution of royalties for the use of creative works, has appointed a new Executive Director, Mr James Y. Draper. Mr. Draper is the former Executive Secretary of the Liberian National Commission […]

Ms. Gamai Koboi, the Director General of Liberia’s Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) has plans to address the country’s lack of data on the impact of intellectual property (IP) on the economy. In a recent interview, Ms. Koboi said Liberia has had various development plans and sectorial policies implemented over the last 20 years. However, IP […]

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) in Liberia recently took drastic action against piracy by shutting down businesses offering local and international pirated goods, related primarily to the entertainment industry. The aim is to get rid of any black-market goods altogether. Piracy is considered a serious offence in the territory, with sanctions such as […]