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Ethiopia

(WIPO code: ET)
(latest review April 2025)
by KISCH IP, Sandton, South Africa

Area

1,129,000 sq. km.

Population

118,550,298 (2024).

Capital

Addis Ababa, with 5.461 million inhabitants (2023).

Currency

Birr.

Language(s)

Amharic (official), English as the international language, Arabic.

Industries

Food processing, chemicals, textiles.

Imports

Motor vehicles, machinery, petroleum products, wheat, flour, medical and pharmaceutical products, rubber articles, yarns, textiles.

Exports

Coffee, oilseeds, hides and skins, fresh fruits and nuts, salt.

After the dethronement of the last emperor Haile Selassie I, the popular revolution of 1974, inaugurated a period of far-reaching transformation in the country’s political, economic and social life. Some of the major achievements were the nationalization of all rural land and the distribution of land among millions of landless peasants, the nationalization of urban land and extra houses, of large and medium industrial establishments and financial institutions. This created the foundation of the new socio-economy based on socialist ownership of the means of production and the adoption of the New Democratic Revolution (N.D.R.) Program for the country’s overall developments in socialist principles.

In 1994, Ethiopia faced severe famine as a result of drought. A new constitution was ratified December 8, 1994, and multi-party general elections held in 1995.

Administrative divisions: Ethiopia is a federal state subdivided into ethno-linguistically based regional states and chartered cities. There are two chartered cities being the country’s capital Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa and nine regional states, which are further subdivided into districts and subdistricts. The smallest administrative units are Urban Dwellers Association in towns and Peasants Association in rural communities and settlements. All the administrative division units are under the Ministry of Interior.

Administration of justice: justice is administered by a regular court as agencies of state of power and self-management court (people’s tribunals). Courts are independent in their performance of their judicial functions and administration of justice. Each administrative division has a hierarchy of courts. There are Kebele Courts, Peasant Association Courts, Wereda, Awraja Court, High Court and Supreme Court in Addis Ababa with circuit judges of Supreme Court going around the administrative regions from time to time.

LEGISLATION

During the five-year occupation of Ethiopia by Italy (1936-1941), Italian patent and trademark legislation was introduced to the country.

In Eritrea (which was one of the 14 former provinces of Ethiopia, and who declared its independence on May 24, 1993), where the Italian occupation lasted for more than a half century, the patent and trademark laws had a deeper root. The laws then introduced were: Law of August 30, 1868, No. 4577, regarding trademark and design of industry; Law of October 30, 1859, No. 3731; Law of June 29, 1939, No. 1127, and Rules of February 5, 1940, No. 244, and subsequent amendments.

Procedurally, the above legislation in some part of the country, are applied, but the substantive laws applied for the protection of the right of industrial property are Article 674 of the Ethiopian Penal Code, Article 2057 of the Civil Code and Articles 133-134 of the Commercial Code.

A new Trademark Law (Proclamation No. 501/2006) was issued on July 7, 2006 in the Federal Negarit Gazeta; the long-awaited Implementing Regulations were published on December 24, 2012. There is also a Trademark Examination Manual No. 03/2020 which was drafted and signed by the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority in 2020. Owners of trademarks registered in Ethiopia prior to July 7, 2006 had to file new applications by December 18, 2014.

Table of Contents

This is an extract from the article on Ethiopia in Katzarov’s Manual on Industrial Property. To access the whole article, subscribe here. For a free 3-day Trial, please contact us

Patents of Invention

– Inventions, Minor Inventions and Industrial Designs Proclamation No. 123/1995, in force since May 10, 1995.
– Inventions, Minor Inventions and Industrial Designs Regulations, in force since December 10, 1996.

Membership in International Conventions

– Ethiopia is not a member of the Paris Convention nor the PCT.

Filing Requirements

– Legalized power of attorney;
– A statement naming the inventor(s);
– Description of the invention (3 copies), in English or Amharic;
– Claims;
– Drawings (3 copies), (max. size: 26.2 cm x 17 cm);
– An abstract.

Remarks

Duration – extension: patent issued after formal and substantive examination – valid for 15 years. It may be extended for a further period of five years provided it is properly worked in Ethiopia. (Patents of introduction: may be valid for a period that may extend up to ten years.)
Annuities: payable annually on the anniversary of the filing date.
Opposition: is not possible.

 

Trade and Service Marks

– Trademark Law No. 501/2006, in force since July 7, 2006.
– Implementing Regulations No. 273/2012, in force since December 24, 2012.

Membership in International Conventions

– Ethiopia is not a member of the Paris Convention nor the Madrid Agreement or Protocol.

Filing Requirements

– Power of attorney, legalized in the applicant’s country and duly authenticated by the Ethiopian Consulate in the country;
– Home registration certificate or a certified copy of the applicant’s Business Registration License showing the business activity which are related to the list of goods indicated under the application;
– 3 copies of a reproduction of the trademark;
– A list of goods and services classified in accordance with the International Classification and the class numbers of the classification;
– Priority document, if any.

Remarks

Duration – renewals: 7 years from the filing date; renewable for further periods of 7 years.
Obligation to use the registered mark: use is not required for the registration of a trademark or for its renewal, however, the trademark is vulnerable to cancellation for non-use. Any interested person may submit a request in writing to the Office for the cancellation of a registered trademark on the grounds that the mark has not been used in Ethiopia during a continuous period of at least three years preceding the date of the request for cancellation.
Opposition: any person who objects the registration of the trademark may within sixty days from the date of the publication of the notice of invitation for opposition notify in writing the Office stating the grounds of opposition (this may be extended for a further sixty days upon payment of a fee).

 

Industrial Designs

Legal Basis

– Inventions, Minor Inventions and Industrial Designs Proclamation No. 123/1995, in force since May 10, 1995.
– Inventions, Minor Inventions and Industrial Designs Regulations, in force since December 10, 1996.

Membership in International Conventions

– Ethiopia is not a member of the Paris Convention nor the Hague Agreement.

Filing Requirements

– Legalized power of attorney;
– A statement indicating the name, address, nationality and residence of the applicant(s)/creator(s);
– 4 graphic representations or drawings (max. size 10 cm x 20 cm);
– A printing block;
– An indication of the kind of product for which the design is to be used.

Remarks

Duration: after formal examination and novelty examination: 5 years from the filing date. Renewable for two consecutive periods of five years each.
Opposition: is not possible.

 

Domain Names

Filing

ccTLD: .et
Applicant: individuals and legal entities.
Local presence: not required.

Remarks

Duration – renewals: one year, renewable.
Uniform dispute resolution procedure: none.

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