Ethiopia - Protecting Intellectual PropertyEthiopia - Protecting IP
The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) oversees Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues. Ethiopia has not signed a number of major IPR treaties, such as the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the World Intellectual Property Organization (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. The government expressed its intention to accede to the Berne Convention, Paris Convention, Marrakesh Protocol and Madrid Protocol, and currently EIPO is drafting a ratification proclamation. EIPO has been tasked primarily to protect Ethiopian patent rights and copyrighted materials, and to fight pirated software. Generally, EIPO is weak in terms of staff and budget, and does not have law enforcement authority. Abuse of U.S. trademarks is rampant, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors. The government does not publicly track counterfeit goods seizures, and no estimates are available. Ethiopia is not listed in USTR’s Special 301 report and notorious market report.
EIPO contact and office information.
In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective management of their intellectual property.
Prepared by the International Trade Administration. With its network of more than 100 offices across the United States and in more than 75 markets, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.
EIPO contact and office information.
In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective management of their intellectual property.
Prepared by the International Trade Administration. With its network of more than 100 offices across the United States and in more than 75 markets, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.