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8th Session of the Working Group on the Improvement of the ARIPO Protocols Held in Harare

13-May-2019 | Source : The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) | Visits : 3550
HARARE- The Working Group on the Improvement of the ARIPO Protocols relating to industrial property in its 8th Session met at the ARIPO headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe from May 9 – 10, 2019 according to the official website of ARIPO. 

Established since 2013, the Working Group, which is composed of ARIPO patent and trademark agents, works closely with ARIPO in seeking ways to improve the attractiveness and user-friendliness of the ARIPO Protocols, particularly the Harare and Banjul protocols.

The Director General, Mr. Fernando dos Santos, acknowledged that as a result of the work of the working group, “the efficiency in the processing of patent and mark applications has greatly improved”. He thus implored the working group to continue to work towards improving the protocols to meet the expectations of IP owners.

Chairperson of the Working Group, Ms. Brenda Matanga, reminded the Working Group that while the founding vision of the Lusaka Agreement has remained in place, the dynamics to attain or implement the vision continues to change. Therefore, the organization has to adapt to the changing dynamics in line with global trends. To this, she said, "….I do not believe [the founding fathers then] fully envisaged the sophisticated world we live in today, where technology and innovation have changed the people that we were then – 40 plus years ago”.

She further highlighted that because of the Internet the world has changed drastically in the way it conducts business, and with it, human needs, expectations and demands have changed as well. To this, she recommended that ARIPO has to constantly redesign, upgrade, and update existing services and procedures to attract more business to itself, the member States, the agents and ultimately the rights holders. “It is for this reason that we are gathered here to deliberate on the current provisions of ARIPO’s Harare and Banjul protocols, replacing the obsolete, challenging the status quo, interrogating the provisions and proffering solutions-all for the improved and efficient delivery of services by the Office”, she said.

Forty participants are attending the 8th session including officials from IP Offices of some of the Member States, namely The Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, and Zimbabwe and ARIPO Staff Members. The recommendations of the sessions of the working group are presented to the Technical Committee on Industrial Property and subsequently to the Administrative Council for final consideration in November each year.
 
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