Ethiopia is stepping up efforts to join international intellectual property agreements, seeking to help local businesses protect their products, technologies and brands abroad and strengthen their competitiveness in export markets.
The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA) is coordinating with international organisations on participation in frameworks covering patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright, alongside reforms to the country’s domestic intellectual property system.
EIPA Director General Woldu Yemessel told Capital that the initiative was progressing alongside Ethiopia’s efforts to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“Intellectual property is fundamentally territorial,” Woldu said. “Without participating in the international framework, a country cannot fully realize or capture the commercial value of its domestic innovation.”
The plans were outlined following a three-day Cross-Regional African-Arab Forum hosted in Addis Ababa in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Held under the title Intellectual Property and Export Competitiveness: Leveraging the PCT, Madrid and Hague Systems for Market Access, the forum examined mechanisms for helping businesses and individuals seek protection for intellectual property across borders.
In his opening address, Woldu highlighted three WIPO-administered frameworks: the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Madrid System for trademarks and the Hague System for industrial designs.
Officials presented the systems as tools for streamlining applications across multiple jurisdictions and supporting businesses seeking to commercialise their products internationally.
EIPA said stronger cross-border protection would help Ethiopian exporters safeguard the intellectual property associated with their products as they pursue new markets.
Alongside the treaty initiatives, the authority is pursuing institutional and regulatory reforms intended to support innovation and the development of a knowledge-based economy.
According to figures presented by EIPA, Ethiopia recorded approximately 230 patent filings during the latest reporting period. Trademark registrations reached about 6,000, compared with 2,500 three years earlier.
The figures indicate increased use of intellectual property protection, although officials say further work is needed to expand participation by local innovators and businesses.
The authority’s priorities include raising the commercial value of locally developed technologies, brands and creative work through stronger legal protection.
EIPA is also prioritising Geographical Indications (GIs), which link a product’s quality or reputation to its geographical origin.
According to the authority, Ethiopia currently has no registered GIs, despite opportunities associated with its agricultural diversity and regional products.
EIPA plans to register between 10 and 15 GIs annually during an initial pilot phase. Its longer-term ambition is to increase registrations to between 1,000 and 2,000.
Officials said achieving those targets would require participation from producer cooperatives and regional trade associations, together with a supporting regulatory framework.
The initiative forms part of the authority’s effort to help producers protect the identity and commercial value of products associated with particular locations.
EIPA officials said aligning domestic rules with international intellectual property frameworks would strengthen legal safeguards for Ethiopian businesses as the country expands trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The proposed treaty participation and domestic reforms are intended to give exporters stronger tools to protect their products and brands while helping local innovators pursue commercial opportunities beyond Ethiopia.
