Development of common guidelines for ARIPO member states

In the globalised world, where more and more businesses operate across national borders, regional harmonisation of IP soft law is key to facilitate the use of IP rights by MSMEs. It is important that policies and guidelines on examination are harmonised as much as possible on a regional level in order to ensure legal certainty, as well as lower the cost and time of trade mark and design registration procedures.

This activity will aim to take steps towards the convergence of practices amongst ARIPO member states in the field of trade mark and designs. This convergence will be based on existing international best practices. Awareness will be created, and a roadmap will be established for the implementation of such best practices. This will pave the way to the future creation of common guidelines between all ARIPO member states.