The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), formerly African Regional Industrial Property Organization, is an intergovernmental organization for cooperation among African states in patent and other intellectual property matters.
The purpose of this Protocol is to hear applications for patents and registered trademarks in its member states who are parties of the “Harare Protocol”.
One of the recent amendments to the Harare protocol that came into force from January 2018. It has now been amended to provide Modified Substantive Examination.
Below are the requirements to be fulfilled for such request under ARIPO office:
For expedited substantive examination:
- The applicant must be for a single invention and/or the applicant must agree to the examination division examining only the first identified invention of an application;
- The applicant must respond immediately to any clarification sought by the examining division.
- The application should be restored before the conclusion of the examination.
- A search report must be provided based on a set of claims of either the same scope or a narrower scope must be submitted to the ARIPO Office.
For delayed substantive examination:
The extension of the examination is allowed for up to one year from the prescribed three year period from the ARIPO filing date.
- A request must be filed within the prescribed three year period from the date of filing.
- A written satisfactory explanation must be submitted to the director general.
- The application should not be lapsed due to non-payment of annuities during this time.
The ARIPO fee for the request for modified examination is USD700 and this shall not be considered unless the fee is fully paid
by Akshatha
