PATENT REGISTRATIONS
Patent
protection in Ethiopia is available via a national filing.
According
to our information, Ethiopia has not signed any reciprocity agreements
as regards the claiming of priority. However, from previous cases
filed for clients in Ethiopia, it appears that the Ethiopian Patent
Office is prepared to recognise priority claims provided the application
is filed within 12 months of the first claim to priority.
The
requirements for filing an application in Ethiopia are as follows:
a)
a power of attorney notarised and legalised up to Ethiopian consular
level;
b) an assignment of invention notarised and legalised up to Ethiopian
consular level;
c) a copy of the specification (including claims, abstract and drawings)
in the English language; and
d) a certified copy of the priority application notarised and legalised
up to Ethiopian consular level.
According
to one source, the deadline for filing the power of attorney, assignment
of invention, and priority document is 2 months from the Ethiopian
application filing date. However, another source specifies that
the power of attorney and assignment of invention are required upon
filing. Accordingly, we find it prudent to provide all 3 documents
upon filing, if possible.
The
patent application is subject to substantive examination which usually
takes place within 3 years after all the formal requirements have
been satisfied. Substantive examination can be avoided and grant
expedited by filing a copy of a patent granted on a corresponding
application in another country. In this manner a patent can be granted
within a period of less than a year after the application is filed.
The
cost of filing a patent application in Ethiopia is currently in
the region of between about US$ 2500.00 and US$ 2700.00.