After 18 months of dedicated assistance
from Korea
International Cooperation Agency, ARIPO has developed a fully searchable
online IP tool.
ARIPO has been a destination of choice for many patent holders to cover a large African region cost effectively. However, for trade marks, the system has always been criticised because the underlying legislation has not been domesticated in most member countries, leaving users unsure of the validity of the registration in all designated states. It is expected that this searchable tool will help persuade countries and users to adopt the system for the protection of their IP.
ARIPO has been a destination of choice for many patent holders to cover a large African region cost effectively. However, for trade marks, the system has always been criticised because the underlying legislation has not been domesticated in most member countries, leaving users unsure of the validity of the registration in all designated states. It is expected that this searchable tool will help persuade countries and users to adopt the system for the protection of their IP.
You can check it out in full here (link no longer available). Their E-filing system comes into operation from 9 March. Thanks @BrendaMatanga for the tweet off about this development.
