NEWS FLASH: Intellectual Property Ethiopia takes steps to join the Paris Convention and the Madrid Protocol

On 1 October 2024, Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers approved Ethiopia’s accession to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of Marks. The ratification documents were sent to the House of People’s Representatives for approval, which is the lower house of the Ethiopian Federal Parliamentary Assembly, dealing with legislative matters.

It is anticipated that Ethiopia’s accession to these treaties would be confirmed by the Federal Parliament, as these developments are closely related to a new drive initiated by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Mr Abiy Ahmed, and supported by the Director-General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA), Mr Woldu Baraki. The reform and updating of Ethiopia’s IP laws and its accession to important IP treaties and trade agreements (including the WTO, which is in the pipeline) is seen as a vital step forward to reinvigorate the country’s economy and stimulate trade and investment opportunities.

The EIPA recently confirmed that they are working closely with local IP practitioners and hosting workshops with the view of preparing for legislative reform of existing IP laws, including the Trade Mark Proclamation, which would require amendment to properly align with the Paris Convention and to give legal recognition to trade mark registrations secured in Ethiopia via WIPO’s Madrid System. It would also be necessary for the EIPA to consider amending the current, strict filing requirements placed on foreign trade mark applicants (legalized Power of Attorney and proof of foreign registration needs to be presented at the time of filing), which could present obstacles to the domestic implementation of the treaties, if left unaltered.

Adams & Adams is monitoring the situation closely via our associated offices in Addis Ababa and we will provide regular updates as these promising developments unfold further.