ARIPO Administrative Council Meeting to endorse Copyright Related Rights ongoing 

In order to endorse the draft Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and Related Rights, the 11th Extraordinary Session of the Administrative Council of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) is currently ongoing.

The meeting that commenced yesterday August 23, will run until August 26 2021 at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo.

This meeting was first reviewed by an Experts Committee convened on 20th and 21st August 2021.

After endorsement, the draft protocol will then be ready for onward transmission to the Diplomatic Conference to be held at the same venue from 27th to 28th August, 2021 for its adoption.

The Extra Ordinary Session will discuss other items of its traditional agenda, including the proposals to amend the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs and the Banjul Protocol on Marks with a view to making them more user friendly as well as aligning them to relevant international treaties and best practices.

“Furthermore, the Extraordinary Session will discuss the status of the 2020 Intellectual Property Rights Reports of Chairpersons of Technical Committees that include Copyright and Related Rights, Industrial Property and Plant Variety Protection as well as the Reports of the Chairpersons of the Administrative Committees for Audit, Finance and Human Capital,” part of the statement read.

The Intellectual Property Rights & Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) project will be officially launched on August 26 as part of the Extraordinary session in an event that will be graced by distinguished dignitaries.

AfrIPI envisions facilitating economic growth in Africa by promoting and raising awareness of the importance and value of intellectual property in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This grand Session of the Administrative Council is being attended by the Heads of Industrial Property and Copyright and Related Rights Offices from the 20 ARIPO Member States and potential Member States.

Some of the ARIPO Co-operating Partners attending include the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI), Artistas Intérpretes, Sociedad de Gestión (AISGE) and the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO).

The 20 ARIPO Member States are Botswana, The Kingdom of Eswatini, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, The Kingdom of Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe as revealed in the statement.

ARIPO is Africa’s leading Intellectual Property hub of 20 Member States based in Harare, Zimbabwe that fosters creativity and innovation for economic growth and development in Africa. ARIPO’s mandate is on Copyright and Related Rights, Patents & Utility Models, Industrial Designs, Trademarks, Traditional Knowledge & Expressions of Folklore, Access and Benefit Sharing, Geographical Indications and Plant Variety Protection.

Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) is an autonomous statutory body established by Chapter 210 of the Laws of Uganda. It is responsible for registration of business names, companies and legal documents, Intellectual Property Rights (such as patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright) and Civil Registration (registration of all marriages and conducts civil marriages). The Bureau also handles Insolvency matters and runs the Security Interest in Movable Property Registry System (SIMPO) that captures all security interests on movable property.

AfrIPI is an international cooperation project funded and directed by the European Union, co-funded and implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). It has an initial duration of 4 years starting from February 2020.