About ARIPO

1. Establishment and Legal Basis: ARIPO was initially established as the African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ESARIPO) in 1976 under the Lusaka Agreement. Its name was changed to the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization in 1985.

The organisation operates under this agreement, which provides its legal and institutional framework.

2. Member States: ARIPO currently has 22 member states. These are predominantly English-speaking countries from across the African continent.

The member states are: Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe etc.

3. Mandate and Mission: The primary mandate of ARIPO is to pool the resources of its member states in industrial property matters to avoid duplication of effort and to pool human and financial resources.

Its mission is to promote the development and harmonisation of intellectual property laws and the creation of a collective intellectual property system appropriate to the needs of its members and the region.

4. Core Protocols: ARIPO administers several key protocols that facilitate the filing of intellectual property applications with effect in its member states. The most significant include:

Harare Protocol (1982) on Patents and Industrial Designs.

Banjul Protocol (1993) on Marks (Trade Marks).

5. Centralised Filing System: One of ARIPO’s primary functions is to offer a centralised filing system. An applicant can file a single application for a patent, trade mark, or industrial design with the ARIPO Office in Harare, Zimbabwe, and designate the member states in which they seek protection.

This significantly reduces the cost and complexity of seeking intellectual property protection across multiple African countries.

6. The ARIPO Patent Examination: ARIPO conducts substantive examinations of patent applications under the Harare Protocol.

This examination process ensures that granted patents meet international standards of novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, providing greater legal certainty for patent holders.

7. Swakopmund Protocol (Traditional Knowledge): ARIPO has expanded its mandate beyond conventional intellectual property to include the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of folklore.

The Swakopmund Protocol on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore (2010) provides a legal framework for member states to protect the rights of local communities over their traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.

8. ARIPO Academy (Training and Capacity Building): ARIPO places a strong emphasis on human resource development.

The ARIPO Academy offers training programmes, workshops, and seminars for intellectual property practitioners, examiners, and policymakers from member states to build capacity and enhance the effective administration of intellectual property rights in the region.

9. Headquarters and Location: The headquarters of ARIPO is located in Harare, Zimbabwe. The organisation operates from its Secretariat, which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of its protocols and programmes.
10. ARIPO and Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH): ARIPO has established bilateral agreements, such as the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) with partners like the Japan Patent Office (JPO). This allows applicants whose claims have been determined to be patentable by one office to request accelerated examination of their corresponding application at the other office, promoting work-sharing and efficiency.