ARIPO TRADEMARK REGISTRATION

ARIPO trademark Registration

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) is an intergovernmental organization for cooperation in Intellectual Property matters, founded in 1976 with the Lusaka Agreement. Its main objective is the development and protection of Intellectual Property rights in its member-states. ARIPO has 4 working protocols, one of which is the Banjul Protocol, which regulates trademark applications.

Trademark applications at ARIPO are examined by ARIPO examiners and are granted regionally and are effective in the designated member-states with the legal enforceability of national law. Although it is possible to designate all Banjul Protocol member-states with a trademark application, only Botswana and Zimbabwe have enacted national provisions to recognize ARIPO trademarks, which means that enforceability in the remaining countries is not clear.

Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Documents required:

1. New Applications

• Power of Attorney, simply signed.
• Priority document (if applicable) with verified English translation.

1. Renewals

• No documents required.

1. Assignments/Mergers

• Power of Attorney, simply signed
• Deed of Assignment or other instrument of title, with verified English translation

1. Change of Name

• Power of Attorney, simply signed
• Certificate of Change of Name, with verified English translation

1. Change of Address

• Power of Attorney, simply signed

1. Licences/Registered Users

• Power of Attorney, simply signed, from proprietor and licensee
• Licence Agreement, with verified English translation