Patent Lawyers Serving Clients in Tanzania, Zanzibar and Other African Countries

At Lexglobe IP Services, we provide full-service legal representation for inventors and other rights holders seeking to obtain and enforce patent rights in Tanzania, Zanzibar and other African countries. Our patent attorneys have extensive experience filing national and regional patent applications, and are intimately familiar with the complex laws and procedures governing patent protection in Tanzania and abroad.

Our Services for Inventors and Other Patent Holders

Patentable Inventions

Navigating the patent eligibility rules in Tanzania, Zanzibar and other African countries can be complicated. Each has its own patent legislation, and Tanzania is also party to a number of international conventions. These include the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). We can help you understand the local patentability rules so that you can protect your invention.

Patent Registration

The differences between Tanzania’s and Zanzibar’s patent laws extend to the patent registration process. From providing an accurate description of the claimed invention to ensuring that the claimed invention is sufficiently dissimilar from the prior art, patent applicants in both jurisdictions must carefully adhere to the local requirements in order to avoid long delays and unnecessary denials. We and our associates and sub-agents have extensive experience filing patent applications in Tanzania and Zanzibar as well as in other African countries.

Patent Licenses & Assignments

In both Tanzania and Zanzibar, patent assignments must be in writing and recorded with the Patent Office in order to be enforceable against third parties. Patents can also be licensed in both jurisdictions, and Tanzania requires recording of all patent license contracts as well. Tanzania’s patent legislation also provides for compulsory licenses under a number of different circumstances. We assist patent owners, assignees and licensees in all aspects of patent licensing and assignment.

Patent Cancellation & Infringement

Parties seeking to challenge others’ patent rights can do so either by filing for cancellation of the patent or by filing a claim for infringement in court. Cancellation involves presenting evidence that a registered patent is invalid, while an infringement claim asserts that a third-party is impermissibly making commercial use of a registered owner’s invention. Parties facing cancellation and infringement claims will often have a number of different defenses available.

Patent Regional Protection

For inventors and rights holders seeking broader protection, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and Organisation Africaine de le Propiete Intellectuelle (OAPI) systems provide mechanisms to register patents across multiple African jurisdictions. Regional patent applications filed under ARIPO and OAPI can be used to secure protection in the following countries:

ARIPO Member States

Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

OAPI Member States

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

PCT Patents

Registration under the PCT is similar in concept to registration under ARIPO or OAPI, but can cover as many as 148 countries across the globe, including Tanzania. At Lexglobe IP Services, we have extensive experience prosecuting PCT applications for patent protection in Tanzania and worldwide.

Speak with a Patent Attorney at Lexglobe IP Services | A Tanzanian Intellectual Property Law Firm

If you would like to discuss filing for patent protection in Tanzania, Zanzibar or elsewhere throughout Africa, our patent attorneys are here to help. Call 255 22 212 4127 or send us an email to request a confidential consultation today.