ARIPO: Significant Increase in Patent and Design Fees as of 1 March 2025
On 31 January 2025, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) introduced the amended Harare Protocol and Regulations as well as new, increased official fees for certain patent and design services. Several new fee items have also been introduced. The new official fees will come into force on 1 March 2025, affecting all new and existing applications.
The Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs regulates the filing of patent, utility model and industrial design applications before ARIPO. The Protocol currently includes 20 contracting ARIPO states: Botswana, Cape Verde, Eswatini, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The current and future fees are outlined in the table below:
| Service | Current official fees (USD) | New fees applicable as of 1 March 2025 (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Designation fee per state | 85 | 100 |
| Examination request | 600 | 1000 |
| Surcharges for additional claims (covering 11-50 claims) | 50 | 100 |
| Surcharges for additional claims (covering 60+ claims) | 50 | 200 |
| Publication fee | 350 | 500 |
In order to avoid paying the increased fees, we strongly recommend filing new ARIPO applications before 1 March 2025.
If an applicant does not wish to reduce the claim set and if substantive examination must be requested, it is advisable to file the request and pay the fees for substantive examination and any excess claims fees before 1 March 2025.
We are in the process of reviewing the amended Protocol and Regulations and how these amendments will impact all applications going forward. More information will follow soon.
For more information, please contact:
