Selam Ethiopia, a leading non-governmental organization promoting arts and culture for social transformation, announced the launch of a month-long digital campaign to raise awareness about Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) across the country. Supported by UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD), the initiative under the Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights in Ethiopia (SIPRE) project targets artists, creators, youth, and regional cultural communities to foster a more equitable creative economy.
Starting December 1, 2025, the campaign will deploy infographics, short educational videos, and multilingual messages via national platforms and partner networks. It focuses on underserved groups with limited access to IP education, covering key topics like copyright, neighboring rights including royalties, work registration, piracy’s impact, roles of institutions such as the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA) and Collective Management Organizations (CMOs), Ethiopia’s global copyright position, and digital-age protections.
The SIPRE project, initiated in 2024, has already achieved milestones including workshops in Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Mekelle, and Adama; training over 326 artists, media professionals, and government officials on Ethiopia’s IP frameworks; producing guides in Amharic, Afan Oromo, Tigrigna, and Sidamigna; and facilitating national and continental best-practice platforms.
“This campaign takes the message of intellectual property rights to every corner of Ethiopia,” stated Samuel Mulugeta, Country Director of Selam Ethiopia. “Creators deserve to understand their rights and benefit fairly from their work. This is a meaningful step toward a more inclusive creative economy.”
