Economy
Global IP Treaties Targeted to Boost Export Competitiveness
Capital Ethiopia · 10 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Capital Ethiopia
AI SUMMARY
Ethiopia is pursuing international intellectual property agreements and domestic reforms to help local businesses protect their products abroad and boost export competitiveness.
- Ethiopia is stepping up efforts to join international intellectual property agreements to help local businesses protect products, technologies, and brands abroad.
- The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA) is coordinating with international organizations on frameworks covering patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and copyright.
- EIPA Director General Woldu Yemessel stated that the initiative is progressing alongside Ethiopia’s efforts to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
- The plans follow a three-day Cross-Regional African-Arab Forum in Addis Ababa hosted in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
- Woldu highlighted three WIPO-administered frameworks: the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Madrid System for trademarks, and the Hague System for industrial designs.
- Ethiopia recorded approximately 230 patent filings and about 6,000 trademark registrations during the latest reporting period, compared with 2,500 three years earlier.
- EIPA is prioritizing Geographical Indications (GIs) and plans to register between 10 and 15 GIs annually during an initial pilot phase, with a long-term goal of 1,000 to 2,000.
- Aligning domestic rules with international frameworks is intended to strengthen legal safeguards as Ethiopia expands trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
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