THE FIRST MANUAL FOR GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

A comprehensive manual on geographical Indicators in Africa has been developed by several experts under the auspices of the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation project in Africa (AfrIPI). The manual is available online in English and French.

Geographical Indications (GIs) have been receiving increasing attention on national and international level by producers, consumers, and policymakers alike due to their value and potential for development. According to the Journal there has been much development in the protection of the GIs over the past twenty years and there are currently “around 190 Geographical Indications protected on the African continent, either within a sui generis system, or as collective or certification trade marks”.

The Manual addresses issues such as the factors considered to be crucial internationally for a GI to be successful and the progress regarding implementing these in Africa, as well as how to improve the performance of GIs on the continent.

The manual is seen as a valuable contribution to the efforts of the Continental Strategy for Geographical Indications in Africa (2018-2023), which was established with the main objectives to enhance GI stakeholders’ networking at national level, preserving and promoting traditional products on local markets and positioning them on international markets.

The highlights of the manual were presented in an online event on 3 May 2022, hosted by OriGIn and the Africa Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Project (AfrIPI entitled Geographical Indications in Africa: Launch of AfrIPI’s manual’.

https://internationalipcooperation.eu/en/afripi/news/introducing-manual