LAWS
Constitution
of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1994).
IP LAWS
Trademark
Registration and Protection Proclamation No. 501/2006 (2006).
Access to
Genetic Resources and Community Knowledge, and Community Rights Proclamation
No. 482/2006 (2006).
Plant Breeders’
Right Proclamation No. 481/2006 (2006).
Copyright and
Neighboring Rights Protection Proclamation No. 410/2004 (2004).
Research and
Conservation of Cultural Heritage Proclamation No. 209/2000 (2000).
Inventions,
Minor Inventions and Industrial Designs Proclamation No. 123/1995 (1995).
IMPLEMENTATION
OF RULES AND REGULATION (INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY).
Council of
Ministers Regulation No. 273/2012 of December 24, 2012 on Trademark
Registration and Protection (2012).
Inventions, Minor
Inventions and Industrial Designs Regulations (1996).
Regulations No.
121/1993 on Transfer of Technology of the Council of Ministers (1993).
TREATIES
Marrakesh
Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind,
Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled …
Convention
Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (February 19, 1998).
Nairobi Treaty
on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol (September 25, 1982).
Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO)
P.
O. Box 25322/1000
Addis
Abeba
Ethiopia
Tel
+ 251 11 552 5972
Fax
+ 251 11 552 9299
Mail
info@eipo.gov.et
www.eipo.gov.et
Trademark filing Requirements:
1- Mark
and list of goods.
2- Full
particulars of the applicant.
3- Specimen
of the mark and a printing block (in case the mark is a device).
4- A
power of attorney duly legalized up to the Ethiopian Consulate.
5- A
certified copy of home registration. No legalization is required. OR
6- Business
License (if available) detailing the goods and/or services to be covered by the
7- Application,
with verified English translation, legalized by an Ethiopian Consul.
N.B:
In
Ethiopia the trademark application for registration and the supporting
certified copy of home registration must be submitted for an identical
specification of goods and/or services. It is to be noted that the class
headings is not accepted under the above-mentioned Jurisdiction.
Time Frame:
The
expected time frame for a straight forward registration is 5 to 7 months from
the filing date.
Renewal requirements:
1- A
Power of Attorney duly legalized up to the Ethiopian Consulate is needed for
renewal. If a POA has already been issued to us previously, there is no need to
send us a new POA. Sample of POA is attached.
2- Specimen
of the mark and a printing block (in case the mark is a device).
3- Renewal
Applications can be submitted within three months prior to the renewal due
date.
The protection period of a trademark is 7-years as from the date of the filing the application. Registration of a trademark can be renewed for a consecutive period of seven (7) years. Renewal of a trademark registration shall be made within three months after the expiry of the registration period; however, the registration may be renewed within the next six months, by paying in addition to the regular renewal fee, a penalty prescribed by the Regulations. A trademark renewal is published.
In
case the failure to proceed with the renewal in the due deadline, the trademark
will be lapsed and the only way to restore it is to file new application.
Adjustment requirements:
1- A
power of attorney duly legalized up to the Ethiopian Consulate.
Re-registration requirements:
1- A
power of attorney duly legalized up to the Ethiopian Consulate.
2- A
certified copy of home registration without legalization by an Ethiopian
consulate abroad.
License Agreement/Register User:
In
Ethiopia license agreements have to be in writing. It is not permissible to
license the use of unregistered trademark. A trademark owner may grant a license
with respect to only some of the goods or services for which the mark is
registered. The contract should indicate whether it is for some or all of the
goods or services in respect of which the trademark is registered. The sale of
a registered trademark does not automatically terminate the license. There are
statutory provisions for an effective control, by the licensor, of the quality
of the goods or the services in connection with which the trademark may be
used. There are provisions in law for the recordal of a licensee with the
Trademark Office. Recordal is mandatory. There is no time frame for recordal.
There is no prescribed form or content for a license agreement. No further
documents are required.
Effectiveness of License Agreement/Register User:
The license
becomes effective on the date of the contract. The license is required to be
published in an Intellectual Property Gazette or a newspaper having nationwide
circulation.
Infringement Proceedings:
There
is an evidentiary presumption that use by a recorded licensee is permitted use.
Whether the licensee may join the proprietor in infringement proceedings and
whether he may call upon the trademark owner to institute infringement
proceedings depends on the content of the contract. It also depends on the
terms of the content whether the registered user is entitled to institute
proceedings in his own name after a certain time and whether he must cite the
proprietor as co-defendant in any such proceedings.
FILING REQUIREMENTS:
1- Title
of the invention.
2- Full
particulars of the applicant and/or inventors.
3- A
power of attorney duly legalized.
4- A
copy of Home Registration duly legalized.
N.B:
All the
above-mentioned documents must be submitted at the time of filing.
RENEWAL:
There
is a 6-month grace period for late payment with a surcharge.
Validity:
The
validity term of 15 years from the date of filing the application and upon the
applicant request we can extend the validity for 5-year.
FILING REQUIREMENTS:
1-
Power of attorney,
legalized.
2-
Drawings, paintings,
graphics, photographic or similar representations of the design.
MULTIPLE FIGURES:
It is not permitted under the Ethiopian regulation and law
to proceed with MULTIPLE FIGURES.
RENEWAL:
It is permitted under the above-mentioned jurisdiction to
request 2 consecutive renewals of 5 years each is allowed after the validity of
5 years expire.
No
registration formalities available