The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office issued 1500 separate patents and creative rights ownership certificates in the just concluded fiscal year it announced.

The office granted certificates after careful evaluation and all due consideration to ensure the originality of the creation both at home and internationally said Awkoke Shiferaw, Head of Communication Service with the office.

The office also took steps to publicize the ownership claim to public to entertain any counter claims to the creative rights of the creations before issuing final certification said Awkoke.

The office was able to acknowledge 11600 trademarks and issued certificates of sole ownership in the same fiscal year added Awkoke.

223 applicants were also registered under inventive works and medium scale services were also awarded certificates according to Awkoke.

The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office is an independent unit within the Ethiopian Science and Technology Agency established to protect intellectual property in Ethiopia.

The office aims to  protect intellectual property rights, create and information system to give service to users, to develop and submit appropriate legislation proposals to the government on the issue of intellectual property, to render advisory service on intellectual property and to raise awareness amongst the general public on the issue as well as support domestic inventors, authors and musician associations and to establish relationships with domestic international and regional intellectual  property offices.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency