ARIPO Opens Faster Patent Review for Priority Technologies

Correction (11 October 2026): ARIPO is not a party to the Madrid System, so it cannot be designated as such through Madrid; only ARIPO member states that are themselves Madrid members can be designated, one by one. The rest of this article is unchanged.

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization has announced an Accelerated Examination Track under the Harare Protocol for selected patent applications. The route covers PCT applications entering the ARIPO regional phase and direct patent filings where the invention relates to public health, agricultural technology or clean energy. For eligible cases, the stated examination target is 12 to 18 months.

The measure is a practical signal that ARIPO wants scarce examination capacity to move faster where regional development needs are more visible. Applicants should not treat acceleration as a routine request; claim scope, technical support and designated state strategy will need to be prepared carefully. The same notice also changes trade mark practice for Madrid designations of ARIPO: from June 2026, opposition evidence and responses in refusal review matters must be filed electronically, with paper submissions by post no longer accepted. That should reduce mailing uncertainty, but it also leaves less room for slow client-agent document coordination.