Botswana: Patent

Patents in Botswana are obtained through filing an application with CIPA. The invention must satisfy novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability:

• The patent term runs for 20 years from the filing date, subject to annual maintenance fees.
• Applicants submit a specification, detailed claims, and necessary supporting documents.
• A substantive exam verifies compliance with patentability requirements.
• Botswana, as a PCT member, allows foreign applicants to enter the national phase after an international filing.

Once granted, patents provide exclusive rights in Botswana, enforceable against unauthorized exploitation.