Activities

08 - 10 Nov

Harare, Zimbabwe

Communications Training on the ARIPO Regional Intellectual Property Rights System

There is a need for government information officers and journalists to be equipped to effectively notify their audiences of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Regional Intellectual Property Rights System, which can be used to raise awareness

03 Nov

Consultative roundtable on counterfeiting in Nigeria

According to the OECD-EUIPO report on Mapping the Real Routes of Trade in Fake Goods

12 - 14 Oct

Dakar, Senegal

Support for the Creation of an Association of Judges for OAPI Member States

From 12 to 14 October 2022, the African Organisation of Intellectual Property (OAPI) and AfrIPI will hold a constitutive General Assembly of the Association of Judges in Dakar, Senegal.

11 - 15 Jul

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Support for the ARIPO Patent Examination Training

Under the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Patent Examination Training programme (ARPET), AfrIPI, ARIPO and the European Patent Office (EPO) have partnered together to train patent examiners of the national patent offices of ARIPO Member States.

07 - 13 Jul

Alicante, Spain

Study and mentorship visits

In line with international and European best practices and in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, AfrIPI aims to create, protect, utilise, administer and enforce intellectual property rights across Africa.

01 - 31 Jul - Dec

Judges Colloquium on Enforcement

AfrIPI created a pan-African case-law database on intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the first Annual Work Plan (AWP) in 2021. This year, the second AWP will focus on maintaining the tool and continuously uploading new case-law for different IPRs.

21 - 22 Jun

Harare, Zimbabwe

Integration and Implementation of IP Tools

In the last decade, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has worked very closely with the European Union’s Member States IP offices to develop IT tools that help the offices work more efficiently and make IP information freely available to the public

01 - 31 Jun - Aug

Regional workshop on accession to the Banjul Protocol

The Banjul Protocol provides a centralised trade mark registration procedure. Applications for trade mark registrations may be submitted either to the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) or the Intellectual Property office of a Member State.

01 - 30 Jun - Nov

IP Awareness Sessions on Patents and Innovation for ARIPO Countries

Universities, research and development (R&D) institutions and other innovation associations are increasingly leveraging their intellectual property (IP) internationally, as they diversify their contributions beyond just imparting knowledge to their students.

18 - 20 May

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Legal and technical assistance to the RECs for the Phase II negotiations on IPR

On 18-20 April 2022, a sub-regional workshop of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), together with the ‘Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa’ project (AfrIPI), was held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Cong

27 - 28 Apr

Harare, Zimbabwe

Promotional workshop on designs and utility models for ARIPO

On 27 and 28 April 2022, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and AfrIPI hosted a promotional workshop on Designs and Utility Models at ARIPO in Harare, Zimbabwe.

25 - 30 Apr - Sep

Equatorial Guinea

Support to the development of national framework for copyrights in Equatorial Guinea

On March 25 and 26, 2022, a consultative workshop to support the establishment of a structure for the collective management of copyright and related rights was held in Equatorial Guinea.

25 - 26 Apr

World IP Day in Cooperation with WIPO

World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated every 26 April to increase intellectual property (IP) awareness.

21 - 16 Apr - Jun

Online

Support for the establishment of university-private sector innovation platforms for OAPI countries

In support and appreciation of the production of inventions and institutional innovations for the benefit of enterprises, seminars involving universities, institutes and research centres were organised in the 17 OAPI member countries in three phases.

01 - 30 Apr - Jun

Expert support for the OAPI online master’s training programme

Expanding knowledge on IP in Africa is essential to create a strengthened IP network.

01 - 31 Apr - Oct

Expert Support for the ARIPO Master’s Training Programme

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization, are delivering a comprehensive Intellectual Property (IP) Master’s Programme in English to three universities in Africa: the Africa Unive

22 - 17 Mar - Jun

Online

Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in ARIPO countries

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) ad hoc working group on Geographical Indications (GIs) was held online on 22 March 2022 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

23 - 24 Feb

Online

Consultative roundtable on enforcement of IPR for North African countries

A consultative roundtable on the enforcement of IPR for North African countries was held on the 23rd – 24th of February 2022.

14 - 18 Feb

Online

AfrIPI engages at the 7th edition of the EU-Africa Business Forum

The EU-Africa Business Forum 2022 (EABF22) took place from 14 to 18 February. This important event allows public-private dialogue between the EU and Africa at continental level. It aims to increase opportunities for sustainable economic cooperation.

01 - 31 Feb - Dec

Support for the digitalisation of the Nigeria IP Office: ‘Capture and Store’ of Trade Marks Paper Files

The Nigeria Intellectual Property (IP) Office has a vast quantity of paper-based trade marks that need to be scanned to migrate the data to the back office system (IPAS). As a result, it has been selected as the pilot office to give support for this digitalisation process.

01 - 31 Jan - Oct

Abuja, Nigeria

Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in other countries

On 17 and 18 February 2022 the National Conference on Creating Legal and Institutional Framework for Geographical Indications in Nigeria will be held. It will be hosted by the European Union, together with the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa project, the Nigerian Trade Mark Registry under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Africa International Trade & Commerce Research organisation.

01 - 31 Jan - Dec

Africa IP SME Helpdesk

The Africa IP SME Helpdesk supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs') from the European Union (EU) to both protect and enforce their Intellectual Property (

01 - 30 Jan - Jun

Support for the Setup and Strengthening of Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) in ARIPO and OAPI member states

In 2022, AfrIPI will carry out a twofold action to help set-up and develop Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) for literary and artistic works in Member States of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (

01 - 31 Jan - Dec

ARIPO IP Awareness Campaign

Although the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO) has existed since 1976, not many citizens from its 22 member states understand its core business and the benefit of filing through the ARIPO system.

01 - 31 Jan - Mar

GI awareness

A geographical indication (GI) is a distinctive sign used to identify a product whose quality, reputation or other characteristics are related to its geographical origin.

30 - 01 Nov - Dec

OAPI Trademarks examiners training

On 30 November and 1 December AfrIPI is organising a training for trademark examiners.

29 Nov

Consultative roundtable on enforcement of IPR for North African countries

A trend for increasing proliferation of counterfeit and illegal goods (ranging from medicine and food to pesticides) has been observed on the markets in North African countries.

23 - 24 Nov

Workshop on international frameworks (The Hague) for examiners

OAPI accessed the Geneva Act of The Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs and this became effective on 16 September 2008.

10 - 12 Nov

Harare, Zimbabwe

Conference on Geographical Indications for ARIPO countries

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) is organising a Regional Conference on Geographical Indications (GIs) in collaboration with AfrIPI (African Intellectual Property and Innovation) from 10 to 12 November 2021  in Harare, Zimbabwe.

09 Nov

Online

Regional Workshop on the Arusha Protocol

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) is organising a virtual Regional Workshop on the Arusha Protocol in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Project (AfrIPI) on 9 November 2021.

01 - 30 Nov

Innovation Day

This activity aims to get together, in OAPI 17 Member States, all innovation actors (academia, businesses, and public research bodies) in order to create long-term exchange platforms and establish common working plans.

20 - 21 Oct

Abidjan

Regional Seminar on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights

The AFRIPI project in partnership with the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI) is organising a regional seminar on the enforcement of intellectual property rights from 20 to 21 October 2021 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

18 Oct

Cooperation Liaision Meeting on Africa

On 18 October, the AfrIPI project will be presented at the EUIPO 17th Liaison Meeting on Cooperation. Main topics will include the launch of the first Africa IP SME helpdesk.

11 Oct

Online

Patent Examination Training

In view of the implementation of the substantive examination of patent and utility model applications scheduled for January 2022, the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI) plans, among other things, to strengthen the capacities and to tra

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Create an African SME learning tool

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are important drivers of growth in economies across Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for up to 90 % of all businesses in these markets.

01 - 31 Sep - Oct

Abuja

Meetings on the TF in Nigeria

The objective is to follow-up on the capacity-building workshop organised by AfriPI in April 2021 (in Abuja) and support the work of National Task Force created at this occasion with a view to suggest a draft law and a plan of action for GIs in Nigeria.

26 Aug

AfrIPI project launch event

In orde

20 Aug

Kampala, Uganda

Support to the Kampala diplomatic conference on voluntary registration of copyrights and related rights

The voluntary registration of copyrights and related rights regulations provide means of presumption as to the authorship/ ownership of rights, offering a proof of ownership document.

01 - 31 Aug - Dec

Support to the design and delivery of online training at the ARIPO master’s programmes on IP

Expanding the knowledge on IP in Africa is essential to create a strengthened IP network.

15 Jul

Online

GAP analysis on international agreements

International IPR agreements are key facilitators of international trade in the globalised economy. In many African countries the absence of a consistent and coherent national policy on intellectual property (IP), which is in line with those international IPR agreements, creates issues.

23 Jun

Harare, Zimbabwe

Harmonisation Workshop in ARIPO

AfrIPI is organising a workshop for ARIPO member states on the methodology used to achieve harmonisation in trade mark and design registration practices in Europe in the last decade.

16 - 18 Jun

Online

Nigeria’s Trade Mark examiners workshop

Strengthening national and regional IP offices is one of the four main pillars of the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) Project.

01 - 30 Jun - Nov

Judges colloquium on enforcement – initiating the creation of an online accessible case-law database

ARIPO is making vast efforts to set-up a regional case-law database on intellectual property rights (IPRs). To achieve this high-reaching objective, the establishment of a network or platform to link IPR judges would be needed.

27 May

Trade Marks Examiners training for Morocco

AfrIPI delivered on-demand training activities that were tailored to the specific needs of public officials in the field of intellectual property.

10 - 21 May

Vienna Classification System Trainings

The AfrIPI project seeks to promote the African IPOs’ awareness of the advantages of the existing international system of IP.

28 Apr

Regional workshop on accession to the Banjul protocol

The Banjul Protocol provides a centralised trade mark registration procedure. Applications for trade mark registrations may be submitted either to the ARIPO Office or to the industrial property office of a member state; and must designate the member state(s) where registration is sought.

22 Apr

Nigeria / online

Capacity building workshop on geographical indications for public sector/policy makers in Nigeria

22 April 2021 is the date chosen for a workshop on geographical indications (GIs) in Nigeria. The main thrust of the workshop will be to discuss how best to prepare the public sector in promoting GIs in Nigeria (capacity building).

01 - 31 Apr - Dec

Awareness raising on the advantages of international systems on IP

In general, in Africa there is a low participation in international agreements in IP. This activity, focused on OAPI member states, will aim to promote accession to all international treaties that the gap analysis will present useful in facilitating international trade for these focus countries.

01 - 31 Apr - May

Regional workshop on the Arusha protocol

Plant variety protection (or plant breeders’ rights (PBRs)) is an IPR granted to farmers or breeders of new plant varieties.

01 - 30 Apr - Sep

Conference on geographical indications for policymakers for ARIPO countries and panel on legal framework

Geographical indications (GIs) have become one of the important key drivers for social and economic development in many countries. ARIPO has created a draft legal framework.

24 Mar

Online

Support to IP Academies network

The Nigerian and Ethiopian intellectual property offices (IPOs) held an online workshop with the EUIPO Academy on 24 March 2021, to exchange best practices on how to set up their own IP Academies.

01 - 12 Mar - Dec

Development of common guidelines for ARIPO member states

In the globalised world, where more and more businesses operate across national borders, regional harmonisation of IP soft law is key to facilitate the use of IP rights by MSMEs.

01 - 31 Feb - Dec

Online

Support to the reform of Angolan IP legislation

Today, technological innovation represents the economic segment that has grown the most and has greatly contributed to the economic development of countries.

01 - 31 Jan - Dec

Legal and technical assistance to AU Commission on IP

The main objective of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is to create a single continental market for goods and services, with the free movement of people and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African Custo

01 - 31 Jan - Dec

Support to the development of national framework for copyrights in Equatorial Guinea

Effective protection of copyright and related rights ensures the contribution of the cultural sector to the economy through the emergence and development of the cultural industry. In this mechanism, the role of collective management is essential.

15 Dec

Online

AfrIPI and the African IPOs: creating awareness

The European Intellectual Property Office EUIPO (represented by the AfrIPI PMT) together with the European Commission (DG DEVCO) will organise an online seminar on the EU partnership with Africa on Intellectual Property Rights, in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

01 - 31 Dec

Technical support to the development of the legal framework for GIs

Having adequate legal frameworks in place is essential for protecting Geographical Indications (GIs).

23 Nov

Mozambique

Support to GI registration Cabrito de Tete

The AfrIPI project supports the Cabrito de Tete geographical indication (Mozambique). It does so by providing technical and logistical assistance in the commercial testing.

17 - 19 Nov

Online

Patent examination training programme (ARIPO)

Inventors often favour the legal certainty of patents granted by patent systems with substantive examination. Due to a lack of resources and capacity, only a few countries in Africa conduct any form of substantive examination.

01 - 31 Nov - Dec

Training on IP to technical working group AfCFTA

As the AfrIPI project is designed to facilitate the ongoing negotiations (in particular Phase II, dealing with intellectual property rights) and later implementation of the AfCFTA, the project will provide technical assistance to the African Union and its member states in this regard.

01 - 31 Nov - Dec

Support to the intellectual property (IP) academies network

IP academies are important for raising awareness on IP and strengthening capacities related to IP knowledge.

01 - 30 Nov - Jun

Workshop to exchange best practices and identify actions on counterfeiting and piracy in specific industry sectors (pharmaceuticals)

African countries are a key destination for counterfeit goods such as pharmaceuticals, with the hazards and damage that this pose to consumers.

01 - 30 Oct - Apr

Webinar on licencing mechanisms

The international development community has set a clear goal of reaching universal health coverage by 2030 while leaving no one behind.

01 - 30 Oct - Nov

Support the registration of African GIs at national and/or EU level

The AfrIPI project supports the Cabrito de Tete geographical indication (Mozambique). It does so by providing technical and logistical assistance in commercial testing.

01 - 30 Sep

A new African GI manual coming soon

As stated in the continental GI strategy for Africa, the value of GIs needs to be highlighted through specifically supporting the effective progress of African geographical indications (GIs).

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Integration and implementation of IP tools

Open access to the IP registers is expected to provide immediate tangible benefits to the users of the IP system in Africa, such as quality, reliability, and access to information.

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Supporting the registration at national and/or EU level of African Geographical Indications (GIs) (Penja Pepper GI)

The GI Penja Pepper has been filed for registration at EU level and is currently being examined. This activity is part of the support the AfrIPI project provides in terms of technical assistance in protecting GIs at national and/or EU level.

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Development of the OAPI trade mark and designs examination guidelines

In order to enhance the quality, consistency and transparency of the examination of trade marks and designs in OAPI, it is important to have common guidelines for all examiners to use as a reference in their examination work.

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Integration and implementation of IP tools

The activity aims to create awareness on the available IP tools and prepare the countries involved to integrate relevant EUIPN tools into their software. This integration process also includes the sharing of knowledge and experiences as well as technical hands-on sessions.

01 - 30 Sep - Jun

Expert support to the OAPI online master’s training programme

Expanding knowledge on IP in Africa is essential to create a strengthened IP network.

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

AfrIPI feeding the GI Hub

Free access to information ensures transparency and promotes participation in public debate.

01 - 31 Sep - Jul

Trade mark and industrial designs guidelines: revision and technical working group participation (Egypt twinning project)

The twinning project ‘Trademarks and Industrial Designs Office’ was initiated on January 2020 and is scheduled to be implemented over a period of 18 months.

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Trade mark and Industrial Designs Guidelines: revision and technical working group participation (Egypt twinning project)

The twinning project ‘Trade marks and Industrial Designs Office’ was initiated on the 20 January 2020 and is scheduled for implementation over a period of 18 months, with the objective of strengthening the protection of trade marks and industrial designs in Egypt.<

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Support the registration at national and/ or EU level of African GIs

The Continental Strategy for GIs in Africa (2018- 2023) highlights the importance of the development and registration of GI products as pilots and drivers for rural and sustainable development to provide learning and demonstrative effects.

01 - 31 Sep - Dec

Development of the Egyptian Trade mark and Industrial Designs Guidelines

The Twinning Project ‘Trademarks and Industrial Designs Office’ was initiated on the 20 January 2020 and i