Africa Patents – ARIPO

非洲地区知识产权组织 (ARIPO)

什么是 ARIPO？

亚洲知识产权组织 formerly ESARIPO (before the reference to English Speaking was dropped) was created as a result of a diplomatic conference held in Zambia in 1976. At a further meeting in Zimbabwe in 1982, the Harare Protocol was adopted in terms of which ARIPO is empowered to grant patent protection and register industrial designs on behalf of its contracting states.

ARIPO is a member of the 巴黎公约 and it is possible to file an independent patent application claiming Convention Priority. 亚洲知识产权组织 也是 PCT 的成员，可以在 PCT 国际申请中指定。

ARIPO is mandated to grant patent protection on behalf of the Harare Protocol Contracting States in accordance with the provisions of the Harare Protocol on Patents, Designs and Utility Models.

ARIPO 成员

Membership in ARIPO is open to all foreign countries that are Member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Currently, there are nineteen ARIPO states that may be designated in foreign patent applications, namely:

• 博茨瓦纳
• 埃斯瓦蒂尼（原斯威士兰）
• 冈比亚
• 加纳
• 肯尼亚
• 莱索托
• 利比里亚
• 马拉维
• 莫桑比克
• 纳米比亚
• 卢旺达
• 圣多美和普林西比
• 塞舌尔
• 塞拉利昂
• 苏丹
• 坦桑尼亚（大陆）
• 乌干达
• 赞比亚
• 津巴布韦

Unlike OAPI, where single patent protection applications automatically cover all member states and it is not possible to designate the countries of interest, an ARIPO patent application specifically require the applicant to designate each member country where protection is required.

The total of the official fees paid is directly linked to the number of member states so designated. Renewal fees are also directly linked to the number of States designated.

ARIPO PCT：

All of the ARIPO states are also members of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and may be designated when entering the ARIPO Regional Phase of a PCT International Application.

If we do not receive instructions specifying the countries that are to be designated when filing, we shall designate all international treaty member states when filing the complete patent application.

第一章和第二章的截止日期是从优先权日起三十一个月。

Types of Patents:

• 发明专利
• ARIPO地区阶段PCT申请

新奇

Absolute novelty is required for the product or technical solution. However, novelty will not be destroyed if not earlier than six months before the filing date, the inventor or his successor discloses the invention by exhibiting it at an official or an officially recognised international exhibition.

可专利性

Methods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy and diagnostic methods practised on the human or animal body are not patentable.

This provision does not apply to products, in particular substances or compositions, for use in any of these methods.

Patent Specifications:

发明专利（非PCT）：

• 授权书（简单签名）（可在两个月内延迟提交）
• 英文说明书、权利要求书和摘要（提交当天需要）
• 正式图纸，如果适用（提交当天需要）
• International Patents Classification (can be late filed, no set deadline)
• Assignment of the Invention (can be late filed no set deadline)
• 带有经过验证的英文翻译的优先权文件（可在三个月内延迟提交）
• Sequence listing if patent applications contain disclosure of one or more nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences. The sequence listing must also be submitted in electronic form which conforms to WIPO Standard ST.25

PCT国家阶段申请：

• 授权书（简单签名）（可在两个月内延迟提交）
• 英文说明书、权利要求书和摘要（提交当天需要）
• 正式图纸，如果适用（提交当天需要）
• 国际专利分类（申请日需要）
• PCT国际公布副本（申请日需要）
• 国际检索报告副本（可以延迟提交，没有设定截止日期）
• 国际初步审查报告副本（可延迟提交，无固定期限）
• 序列表，如果专利申请包含一个或多个核苷酸和/或氨基酸序列的公开。序列表还必须以符合产权组织标准 ST.25 的电子形式提交

授予

The South African patent office is notified of the grant of an ARIPO patent. A patent granted by ARIPO has, in each designated State, the same effect as a patent registered, granted or otherwise having effect under the applicable national law.

The term of a patent in each designated State, is twenty years from the filing date.

续订

从申请日的周年日开始，每年都要缴纳续展费。

笔记：

The national Patent law in Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia does not specifically provide for a twenty year term for an ARIPO patent.

Patents filed directly in these countries have shorter terms with the option of applying for extensions. It is our belief that the term of an ARIPO patent in all of the member countries is twenty years without the need to apply for the extensions. However there remains a level of uncertainty in this regard.

查看我们的 非洲专利 service area for more information on how our South African patent attorneys can help you. Our qualified patent attorneys will help you to identify a South African patent, obtain patent protection, submit a provisional patent application, as well as prosecute and enforce patent rights.