ARIPO held its 40th Administrative Council Session in Harare, Zimbabwe from 5 -7 December 2016 . During the session, the Administrative Council approved amendments of the Harare Protocol which regulates the filing and prosecution of patents, utility models and industrial designs. The approved amendments include new provisions regarding the following:
- Inventions excluded from patentability
- Requesting substantive examination .
- Restoration of rights in respect of patents, utility models and industrial designs
- Post grant amendment of the claims
The Administrative Council also approved an increase of the official fees in respect of patents and the introduction of new fees for certain patent related services.
We expect the amendments to come into effect from 1 January 2017. Should you require additional information on patent and design protection in ARIPO, please feel free to contact us.
