THE PROTECTION OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS (GIs) IN AFRICA

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Buck Anderson
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1 THE PROTECTION OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS (GIs) IN AFRICA INFORMATION SEMINAR ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU-ESA INTERIM EPA INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, BALACLAVA, MAURITIUS, 14 TO 15 MARCH 2012

2 Introduction to ARIPO Establishment established by the Lusaka Agreement (1976). Membership open to countries members of the African Union and UNECA. ARIPO is based in Harare, Zimbabwe Member States Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe Potential Member States Angola, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa and Seychelles Cooperating partners - The UK Patent Office; INPI-France, IMPI-Portugal, The Austrian Patent Office; Swedish Patent Office; JPO; USPTO; KIPO, SIPO; IMPI- Mexico; IP Australia, WIPO; EPO; EAPO; OAPI and OHIM, COMESA; EAC; African Union (AU); ARCT; INTA, IFFRO and ARSO Mandate Traditional Knowledge (TK), Genetic Resources (GR) and Expressions of Folklore; Plant Variety Protection and Intellectual property (Patents, industrial designs, utility models, Marks, Copyright and Related Rights and Geographical Indication) Legal frameworks in place The Harare Protocol (Patents, Industrial Designs and Utility Models; Banjul Protocol for Marks; Swakopmund Protocol for TK and EoF, Plant Variety Protection framework developed

3 International Treaties Relevant to GIs; and GI Protection Methods International treaties relevant to GIs: - Paris Convention - The Madrid Agreement on Indications of Source - The Lisbon Agreement - The TRIPS Agreement GI protection methods: - Unfair competition laws - Trademark regimes - Specific GI registration systems (sui generis systems) - Government labelling rules and regimes

4 Membership of African Countries in Treaties Relevant to GI Protection Name of Treaty Total Membership Number of African Countries Party to the Treaty The Paris Convention The Madrid Agreement on Indications of Source 35 4 The Lisbon Agreement 26 6 The TRIPS Agreement Source: WIPO and WTO

5 Available Legal Regime for GI Protection in 47 African Countries Country Legal Regime WTO Member Algeria Specific GI protection regime No Angola Trademark regime Yes Benin* Specific GI protection regime Yes Botswana** Trademark regime Yes Burkina Faso* Specific GI protection regime Yes Burundi Trademark regime Yes Cameroon* Specific GI protection regime Yes Central African Republic* Specific GI protection regime Yes Chad* Specific GI protection regime Yes Congo Republic* Specific GI protection regime Yes D. R. Congo* Specific GI protection regime Yes Egypt Trademark regime Yes Equatorial Guinea* Specific GI protection regime Yes Ethiopia Trademark regime No Gabon* Specific GI protection regime Yes Gambia** Trademark regime Yes Ghana** Specific GI protection regime Yes Guinea* Specific GI protection regime Yes Guinea Bissau* Specific GI protection regime Yes Ivory Coast* Specific GI protection regime Yes Kenya** Trademark regime?? Yes Lesotho** Trademark regime Yes Liberia** Trademark regime Yes Libya Trademark regime No Madagascar Trademark regime Yes

6 Country Legal Regime WTO Member Malawi** Trademark regime Yes Mali* Specific GI protection regime Yes Mauritania* Specific GI protection regime Yes Mauritius Specific GI protection regime Yes Morocco Specific GI protection regime Yes Mozambique** Specific GI protection regime Yes Namibia** Trademark regime Yes Niger* Specific GI protection regime Yes Nigeria Trademark regime Yes Rwanda** Trademark regime?? Yes Senegal * Specific GI protection regime Yes Seychelles Trademark regime No Sierra Leone** Trademark regime Yes South Africa Trademark regime (except for wines and spirits) Yes Sudan** Trademark regime No S. Sudan??????? Swaziland** Trademark regime Yes Tanzania** Trademark regime Yes Togo* Specific GI protection regime Yes Tunisia Specific GI protection regime Yes Uganda** Trademark regime Yes Zambia** Trademark regime Yes Zimbabwe** Specific GI protection regime Yes NB: Highlighted** - ARIPO Member State * - OAPI Member States Source: O Connor/Insight Consulting 2007

7 Registered GIs in Africa and African Products Registered as GIs in Third Countries Registered African GIs in the country of origin: Both Kenyan coffee and Kenyan tea are registered in Kenya through certification marks There is a pending application for a GI on Argan Oil from the Souss Massa Dra region in Morocco African GIs registered in third countries: Rwandan Coffee - registered by an individual as US trademark number for The land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Handpicked in the Republic of Rwanda Ethiopian Coffee registered or in the process of being registered in 28 countries around the world including the EU Third countries GIs registered in Africa Champagne appears to have been registered in the 16 African countries that are members of OAPI. Source: S. Musungu/IQsensato 2008

8 ARIPO s initiatives with respect to GIs and implementation challenges ARIPO mandated to establish a regional legal framework for GI protection In the process of developing a Roadmap and milestones Need to generate empirical evidence at country and product level to support member states engagement in developing specific GI protection systems Promote and encourage member states to develop harmonized national GI protection systems Challenges: The dynamics of capturing economic value from GIs; Access to GI protected products by local populations; The role of governments; The costs of establishing and administering a GI regime; The costs of developing, registering and enforcing individual GI; Doha Round of Negotiations on GIs; and Availability of technical assistance and capacity building.

9 Conclusion At the minimum, legal means for positive GI protection is available in most African countries However, African countries and / or producers / business have not taken advantage of the available legal means to protect GIs Availability of technical assistance and capacity building is a crucial factor in the success of GI protection

Thank You ARIPO ADDRESS: 11 Natal Road, Belgravia, Harare,Zimbabwe TELEPHONE: (+263-4) 794054/65/66/67.

10 Thank You ARIPO ADDRESS: 11 Natal Road, Belgravia, Harare,Zimbabwe TELEPHONE: (+263-4) /65/66/67. FAX: (+263-4) /3. or contact us WEBSITE:

Table A.LPG1 : TOTAL LPG CONSUMPTION (Best available Estimates)

Table A.LPG1 : TOTAL LPG CONSUMPTION (Best available Estimates) 1000 MT 1 Burkina Faso 0.509 0.587 0.615 0.606 0.435 0.429 0.691 1.057 1.385 1.698 2.156 2.432 2.888 2 Cape Verde 4.058 4.268 4.988 5.259