African Regional Intellectual Property Organization
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[1] 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.[1] ARIPO also features a protocol on the protection of traditional knowledge, the Swakopmund Protocol,[1] signed in 2010 by 9 member states of the organization. However, that has not come into force yet, as of July 2013.
ARIPO has the WIPO ST.3 code AP. Its 19 member states[2] are mostly English-speaking countries. Rwanda became the 18th member state on March 24, 2010,[3][4] 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).[5]
The name of the organization changed from African Regional Industrial Property Organization to African Regional Intellectual Property Organization in 2005.
Members
Country | Date of Membership or Entry into Force | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Lusaka Agreement | Harare Protocol | Banjul Protocol | Arusha Protocol | |
Botswana | 6 February 1985 | 6 May 1985 | 29 October 2003 | X |
Gambia | 15 February 1978 | 16 January 1986 | X | 6 July 2015 |
Ghana | 15 February 1978 | 25 April 1984 | X | 6 July 2015 |
Kenya | 15 February 1978 | 24 October 1984 | X | X |
Lesotho | 23 July 1987 | 23 October 1987 | 12 February 1999 | X |
Liberia | 24 December 2009 | 24 March 2010 | 24 March 2010 | X |
Malawi | 15 February 1978 | 24 October 1984 | 6 March 1997 | X |
Mozambique | 8 February 2000 | 8 May 2000 | X | 6 July 2015 |
Namibia | 14 October 2003 | 23 April 2004 | 14 January 2004 | X |
Rwanda | 24 June 2011 | 24 September 2011 | 25 March 2013 | X |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 19 May 2014 | 19 August 2014 | X | 6 July 2015 |
Sierra Leone | 5 December 1980 | 25 February 1999 | X | X |
Somalia | 10 March 1981 | X | X | X |
Sudan | 2 May 1978 | 24 October 1984 | X | X |
Swaziland | 17 December 1987 | 17 March 1988 | 6 March 1997 | X |
Tanzania | 12 October 1983 | 1 September 1999 | 1 September 1999 | X |
Uganda | 8 August 1978 | 24 October 1984 | 21 November 2000 | X |
Zambia | 15 February 1978 | 26 February 1986 | X | X |
Zimbabwe | 11 November 1980 | 24 October 1984 | 6 March 1997 | X |
Observers
Rights covered
Together, the two protocols constituting the organisation cover copyright, industrial design, patent, trademark, traditional knowledge and utility model rights.[6]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 See the list of ARIPO-administered treaties at WIPO website. Consulted on July 4, 2013.
- ↑ "Member States". ARIPO. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- ↑ ARIPO web site, Rwanda Joins ARIPO, News, Thursday, 4 August 2011. Consulted on September 16, 2011.
- ↑ Rwanda Joins ARIPO, PCT Newsletter, September 2011, No. 09/2010, p. 1.
- ↑ "Sào Tomé and Príncipe". ARIPO. Retrieved 30 May 2014.; "Sao Tome and Principe Joins ARIPO". PCT Newsletter, No. 06/2014. WIPO. June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ↑ "ARIPO Patent Office homepage". Retrieved 2008-02-12.