Date: Jan. 2024
Ethiopia is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) oversees intellectual property rights (IPR) matters. The country has an established legal regime governing the protection of intellectual property, even though it has not acceded to several major international IPR treaties, such as the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the WIPO Copyright Treaty, the Berne Convention for Literary and Artistic Works, the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Ethiopia’s intellectual property laws are governed by a range of proclamations, regulations, and directives. The Copyright and Neighboring Rights Protection Proclamation No. 410/2004 came into force on 19 July 2004 and was later amended by Proclamation No. 872/2014. Implementing provisions were issued under Regulation No. 305/2014.
Patent protection in Ethiopia is governed by Proclamation No. 123/1995 together with Council of Ministers Regulation No. 12/1997. These laws regulate inventions, minor inventions, utility models, and industrial designs.
Trademark matters are governed by the Trademark Registration and Protection Proclamation No. 501/2006 and the Trademark Registration and Protection Regulation No. 273/2012. These instruments provide the principal legal framework for the registration, use, and protection of trademarks in Ethiopia.