Office overview

Full name: African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)
Established: 1976 (created under the Lusaka Agreement)
Headquarters: Harare, Zimbabwe
Official language: English
Number of member states: 22 (mainly English- or Portuguese-speaking African countries)

ARIPO administers applications for patents, trademarks, industrial designs and other rights under several specific protocols, providing its member states with centralized registration, examination and data services.

Main member states (as of 2025)

Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Eswatini (Swaziland), Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, etc.

Examination and procedural features

• Central examination, national effect: applications are processed centrally, while applicants may choose in which member states protection will take effect;

• Examination language: English (all documents must be filed in English);

• Electronic procedures: a fully implemented e-filing system and online status tracking are available;

• Opposition and appeal mechanisms: ARIPO provides unified opposition and review procedures;

• Enforcement level: granted rights are enforced under the national laws of each member state.

Trademark system (Banjul Protocol)

Filing routes

• Applications can be filed directly with the ARIPO headquarters (Harare);

• Alternatively, member states can be designated via the Madrid System (Madrid Protocol).

Classification standard

• Applies the Nice Classification;

• A single application can designate several member states for protection.

Examination procedure

• Formality examination: about 1–2 months;

• Substantive examination: about 9–12 months;

• Opposition period: 3 months from the date of publication.

Use and renewal

• Registration term: 10 years, renewable indefinitely;

• A continuous period of 5 years of non-use may lead to cancellation.

Examination features

• Examination language: English;

• Focuses on distinctiveness, conflicts with prior rights and likelihood of confusion;

• A single application may cover multiple countries, but protection only takes effect once each designated state approves the grant.

Patent system (Harare Protocol)

Types and terms of protection

• Invention patents: 20 years from the filing date;

• Utility models: available in some member states, with a term of 10 years.

Examination mechanism

• Uses a substantive examination system;

• Examination language is English;

• Average examination period is about 18–30 months;

• After grant, the patent takes effect in the member states designated by the applicant.

International routes

• ARIPO is a PCT member organization;

• PCT international applications may enter the ARIPO regional phase;

• PCT procedures are highly compatible with ARIPO examination requirements.

System features

• A single application can designate some or all member states, offering high flexibility;

• After grant, each state is responsible for local enforcement and maintenance;

• Supports online filing and electronic payment.

Design system (Harare Protocol)

Legal basis

• Based on the Harare Protocol (1982).

Scope of protection

• The external appearance of industrial products, including shape, patterns, colours, ornamentation and their combinations;

• Applies to both industrial and handicraft products.

Term of protection

• Protected for 10 years from the filing date, renewable twice for 5 years each time, up to a maximum of 25 years in total.

Examination procedure

• Average examination period is about 6–9 months;

• Examination mainly concerns formal requirements and novelty;

• Applications must be filed in English.

System features

• After registration, the design takes effect in the member states designated in the application;

• Requires novelty and individual character;

• The eFiling electronic system supports document upload and status tracking.