Patent Laws in ARIPO

In Africa, African Regional Intellectual Property Organization is a regional patent filing system, which is a creation of the joint efforts of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the world Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The ARIPO patent system can be used to obtain patent protection in a large number of African countries in a cost-effective manner. The other regional patent system in Africa is OAPI. OAPI is unique in that its member countries have revoked their own national intellectual property laws and have adopted the OAPI agreement as their national intellectual property law.