Africa’s first IP cooperation project approves GI registration
AfrIPI—the first-ever African cooperation project focusing on IP rights—has discussed and approved its overall plan and future activities, which includes its support of the registration of geographical indications (GIs) in Africa and the EU.
Yesterday, September 7, project partners, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI), the African Union Commission (AUC), the European Commission and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) held the inaugural project steering committee (PSC) meeting.
As part of its activities, AfrIPI will support the registration of GIs in Africa, including Cabrito de Tete (goat from the province of Tete, in Mozambique) and Penja Pepper (a type of white pepper grown in the volcanic soil of the Penja Valley in Cameroon).
Implementing the strategy for GIs in Africa was included in the political declaration and action agenda signed by the European commissioner for agriculture and rural development and the commissioner for rural economy and agriculture of the African Union Commission for rural economy and agriculture in June last year.
AfrIPI—which is funded by the European Commission and the EUIPO, and managed by the EUIPO—will also support the development of IP guidelines for OAPI and ARIPO member states, and train IP examiners on international frameworks (such as The Hague Agreement).
The overall objective of AfrIPI is to facilitate intra-African trade and African and European investment.
Christian Archambeau, EUIPO executive director, said: “The reason why cooperation is so important is that IP rights are closely related to economic wellbeing—in particular sustainable development, the creation of quality jobs, and of balanced trading conditions. In a globalised economy, especially with the internet by-passing physical borders, it is essential that IP rights are understood in a common way and also protected.”
AfrIPI launched in February this year and, for the next four years, it will support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and boost continental economic integration.
As of 2018, this pan-African free trade area is the largest in the world in terms of the number of participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organization.
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