African Regional Intellectual Property Organization

Biography

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), formerly African Regional Industrial Property Organization, is an intergovernmental organization for cooperation among African states in patent and other intellectual property matters. ARIPO was established by the Lusaka Agreement of 1976. It has the capacity to hear applications for patents and registered trademarks in its member states who are parties to the Harare (patents), Banjul (marks) and Arusha protocols. ARIPO also features a protocol on the protection of traditional knowledge, the Swakopmund Protocol, signed in 2010 by 9 member states of the organization which entered into force on May 11, 2015, and was amended on December 6, 2016.

Channel description

The African regional Intellectual Property Organization(ARIPI) is an Intergovernmental organization established to pool the resources of its member countries in industrial property matters in order to avoid duplication of financial and human resources. Thus the preamble to the Lusaka Agreement clearly states that member states are "aware of the advantage to be derived by them from the effective and continuous exchange of information and harmonization and co-ordination of their laws and activities in industrial property matters". Member states also recognized that the "creation of an African regional industrial property organization for the study and promotion of and co-operation in industrial property matters would best serve" that purpose.

Latest videos Channel ↗

• 01 109 50 Years of ARIPO: Staff Reflections _Maureen Fondo May 7, 2026
• 02 56 50 Years of ARIPO: Staff Reflections_Ben Mulenga May 7, 2026
• 03 126 50 Years of ARIPO: Staff Reflections _ Patience Karengesha May 7, 2026
• 04 59 50 Years of ARIPO: Staff Reflections _ Eleanor Larbie May 7, 2026
• 05 40 50 Years of ARIPO: Staff Reflections _ Dr. Graham Mhlakaza May 7, 2026