African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), formerly African Regional Industrial Property Organization, is an intergovernmental organization for cooperation among African states in patent and other intellectual property matters. ARIPO was established by the Lusaka Agreement of 1976. It has the capacity to hear applications for patents and registered trademarks in its member states who are parties to the Harare (patents), Banjul (marks) and Arusha (plant varieties) protocols. ARIPO also features a protocol on the protection of traditional knowledge, the Swakopmund Protocol, signed in 2010 by 9 member states of the organization which entered into force on May 11, 2015, and was amended on December 6, 2016.
ARIPO has the WIPO ST.3 code AP. Its 19 member states are mostly English-speaking countries. Rwanda became the 18th member state on March 24, 2010, and São Tomé and Príncipe on May 19, 2014 (the Harare Protocol entered into force on August 19, 2014 with respect to São Tomé and Príncipe).

Members:

  • Botswana
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Rwanda
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • Sudan
  • Eswatini
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

General information

Intellectual property office African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)
Website https://www.aripo.org/
Contact details 11 Natal Road, Belgravia , P.O. Box 4228, Harare-Zimbabwe
Phone: +263 0242 794065

Patent

Time limit applicable for entry into the PCT national phase 31 months from the priority date
Time limit applicable for filing Conventional application 12 months from the priority date
Language English
Representation Foreign applicants must be represented by a Patent Attorney authorized before any national office of the Harare protocol countries
Power of Attorney A signed Power of Attorney is required to be submitted

Trademark

Filing requirements
  • Request to register a trademarks
  • Name and address of the applicant
  • Designation of one or more contracting states
Multiple-class applications Yes
Power of Attorney A simply signed Power of Attorney is required to be submitted
Examination Formal examination
Representation Foreign applicants must be represented by a Trademark Attorney authorized to represent applicants before any IP office of the Banjul protocol countries

Industrial Design

Filing requirements
  • Request to register a design
  • Name and address of the applicant
  • Representation of the design
Multiple design applications No
Power of Attorney A simply signed Power of Attorney is required to be submitted
Examination Formal examination
Representation Foreign applicants must be represented by a Design Attorney authorized to represent applicants before any national office of the Harare protocol countries

Source: WIPO and Wikipedia