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| Menzi and Mr Wazir, Registrar General Zanzibar |
The
Africa IP gang (Nicky Garnett, Nthabi Phaswana and Menzi Maboyi) of law firm
Adams & Adams have kindly submitted this update on developments in Sierra
Leone and further news on ARIPO's Administrative Council Meeting held in late November:
Sierra Leone: New IP laws
 |
| Ms MS Kallay - RG Sierra Leone, and Nthabi |
During September 2012, the government of Sierra Leone passed into law
the new Patent and Design Act of 2012. The new Act provides for, Paris
Convention, PCT, ARIPO and direct national filing of patent and designs. Accordingly,
UK granted patents and registered designs will no longer automatically extend
into Sierra Leone.
We are assured by the Registrar that she is currently working on building
capacity in order to process applications to be filed under the new Act. |
| The main table! |
Report on
ARIPO Administrative Council Meeting held in Zanzibar, Tanzania from 26th
to 30th November 2012
The
36th Session of the ARIPO Administrative Council Meeting was held in
the picturesque resort island of Zanzibar, Tanzania from the 26th to
30th November 2012. South African delegates attended in an observer
capacity as South Africa is not a member of ARIPO.
ARIPO
continued to encourage users of the system to propose amendments to the Harare
and Banjul Protocols and to comment on ARIPO’s plans to upgrade their infrastructure
and introduce online filing of patents and trade marks.
The
Secretariat also revealed plans to introduce a system of accreditation
including a training program for attorneys and IP agents in the ARIPO member
states.
 |
| Administrative Council and special guests |
The
guest of honour was His Excellency Maalim Seif Shariff Hamad, the First Vice
President of Zanzibar. In his speech he highlighted the need for the protection
of new varieties of plants as an important issue in food security in Africa and
urged the Council to put in place strategies for the protection of traditional
knowledge and folklore.
The current Mozambican Registrar General, Mr Fernando Dos Santos, was elected as the new ARIPO Director General for a term of 4 years commencing in 2013.
