Industrial Design

The Zanzibar Industrial Property Office (ZIPO) has implemented a significant increase in official fees for intellectual property services, effective August 11, 2025. The changes, published in the Government Gazette Vol. CXXXIV No. 7369 on July 18, 2025, falls under the Zanzibar Business and Property Registration Agency (Fees) regulations.

Ethiopia is now a signatory to the Paris Convention and the Madrid Protocol, with both set to enter into force on August 15, 2025. This upcoming integration is expected to simplify the protection of patents and trademarks allowing applicants to claim earlier filing dates and submit international applications through the WIPO system. This measure strengthens the enforcement of intellectual property and promotes investment and technology transfer. The accession marks a strategic step in Ethiopia’s broader efforts to modernize its IP system.

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) is a global phenomenon that has taken over every aspect of life. AI is the possibility and capability of computer systems to perform human-designed tasks with little or no errors. Early innovators and researchers of AI believed that human intelligence and behaviour could be neatly copied and translated by intelligent machines that had been designed to do so. In Nigeria and globally, AI has been widely accepted and indoctrinated across various fields of life.

The Harare Protocol, one of ARIPO’s cornerstone agreements, allows applicants to secure protection for patents, utility models, and industrial designs through a single ARIPO application, with the same effect as if filed directly in each designated member state. This regional mechanism has long been a valuable tool for rights holders seeking efficient, centralized IP protection across participating African jurisdictions. In this context, we would like to highlight the recent expansion of the system.

As of March 1, 2025, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has enacted a series of major amendments to its governing legal instrument, the Harare Protocol, which regulates the procedure for the protection of patents and industrial designs among its member states.

On February 17, 2025, Angela Adebayo Agbe-Davies, Regional Director at Inventa Nigeria, led the masterclass “Exploring Governance Models and Intellectual Property” at the 5th edition of The Creative Class Programme by The Assembly Hub. 

The “Inventa IP Review” annually highlights key intellectual property (IP) developments from the past year. This magazine features our team's opinion articles, interviews, press releases, and other expert insights.

From March 1st 2025, the amendments to the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Design will take effect, including their implementing regulations, Forms and Fees. These amendments are applicable to all existing and new applications. 

The global luxury market is expanding, and Africa is increasingly becoming a key area of interest for high-end brands. The continent’s growing middle class, economic diversification, and burgeoning urban centers present significant opportunities for luxury brands to establish a presence. However, the protection of these brands requires robust IP strategies, particularly in markets where counterfeit goods and weak enforcement mechanisms remain prevalent.

The scope of the challenge

On February 3rd the application period for SME Fund began, an initiative implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) with the aim of helping small and medium-sized enterprises with the protection of IP rights. The fund offers partial reimbursements for expenses related to:

• IP Scan / IP Enforcement: up to €810 (in Portugal)

• Trademarks and Designs: up to €700

• National Patents: up to €1.500

• European Patents: up to €2.500

• Plant Variety application: €1.500