This article refers to our previous article published in 2020, regarding
the accession of Mauritius to the African Regional Intellectual
Property Organisation ("ARIPO").
Mauritius' accession to the Harare Protocol, which will take
effect from 27 August 2025, represents a considerable development
in intellectual property protection in Africa. By depositing its
Instrument of accession on 27 May 2025, Mauritius has become the
twenty-first member state of the ARIPO, thereby enabling
applicants, as of the effective date, to designate a total of
twenty-one countries in a single ARIPO filing. This milestone not
only underscores Mauritius' commitment to fostering robust
intellectual property standards in alignment with international
norms but also marks an important expansion of ARIPO's regional
reach.
The Harare Protocol governs the procedure for the protection of
patents, utility models, and industrial designs among participating
ARIPO member states. Businesses and inventors will benefit from the
streamlined process of securing rights in multiple jurisdictions
under a single consolidated application. In a practical sense, this
removes the need to file separate national applications in
Mauritius, thereby reducing both administrative burdens and legal
complexities. By virtue of these efficiencies and the establishment
of a more harmonised framework, applicants will be positioned to
benefit from time and cost-effective strategies that
comprehensively address patent and design protection across
Africa.
This is a pivotal step in Mauritius' ongoing development as a
knowledge-based economy and a gateway to the African continent for
investors and innovators. It will reinforce the wider goals of
strengthening intellectual property rights, fostering international
collaboration, and propelling sustainable economic growth within
Mauritius and across the African continent.
It is noteworthy that Mauritius is yet to accede to the Banjul
Protocol for trade marks, meaning that Mauritius cannot yet be
designated under ARIPO trade mark applications.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
