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ARIPO

ARIPO is an organization for the protection of Intellectual Property consisting of mostly English-speaking African countries. By the Lusaka Agreement, the organization was established with common Intellectual Property laws and a single Intellectual Property office situated in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Brief Description
ARIPO is administered by two laws; the Harare Protocol on Patents and Designs and the Banjul Protocol on Trademarks.

Trademarks

Although there are 18 member states in the ARIPO, a trademark application may be designated in only Botswana, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe which are signatories to the Banjul Protocol.

ARIPO applications require applicants to designate the member states where protection is to be sought. There are provisions for the registration of SERVICE MARKS. The International Classification of goods and services applies.

Documents required for trademark registration

  • A simply signed Power of Attorney
  • Representation of the mark
  • Specification of goods
  • Full details of the applicant
  • Certified copy of the priority document (if applicable)

Renewals
Valid for an initial period of 10 years counting from the date of filing
Renewable every 10 years

Documents required for Renewals 
No documents required.

Patents

Requirements for filing

Patents of Invention (Non-PCT)

  • Power of Attorney (simply signed) (can be late filed within 2 months)
  • Specification, claims and abstract in English (required on the day of filing)
  • Formal drawings, if applicable (required on the day of filing)
  • International Patent Classification (can be late filed, no set deadline)
  • Assignment of Invention (can be late filed no set deadline)
  • Priority document with verified English translation (can be late filed within 3 months)

National Phase PCT applications

  • Power of Attorney (simply signed) (can be late filed within 2 months)
  • Specification, claims and abstract in English (required on the day of filing)
  • Formal drawings, if applicable (required on the day of filing)
  • International Patent Classification (required on the day of filing)
  • Copy of PCT International Publication (required on day of filing)
  • Copy of International Search Report (can be late filed, no set deadline)
  • Copy of International Preliminary Examination Report (can be late filed, no set deadline)

Grant
The patent offices of the designated States are notified of the grant of an ARIPO patent. A patent granted by ARIPO has, in each designated State, the same effect as a patent registered, granted or otherwise having effect under the applicable national law. The term of a patent in each designated State, is twenty years from the filing date.

Renewal
Renewal fees fall due annually commencing on the anniversary date of the filing date.s

Designs

Filing Requirements

  • Power of Attorney (simply signed) – can be late filed within 2 months;
  • 6 sets of formal drawings – required on the day of filing;
  • Assignment of Design – can be late filed, no set deadline; and
  • Priority document with verified English translation – can be late filed within 3 months and 6 months, respectively.


Duration and Renewal
ARIPO registered designs have the same effect as national registered designs and are governed by the national Design Law of each designated member country.

The term of an ARIPO design in each designated State, is ten years from the filing date.

Renewal fees fall due annually commencing on the first anniversary of the filing date. A six-month grace period, subject to a prescribed fee, is allowed for the late payment of a renewal fee.