Intellectual property in Ethiopia

Intellectual property of Ethiopia is managed by the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIFO), who oversees Intellectual Property Right (IPR) issues. Ethiopia has not signed IPR treaty such as the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) copyright treaty, the Berne Convention for Literary and Artistic Works, the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

The government has intention to accede to the Paris Convention, Marrakesh Protocol and Madrid Protocol. EIPO is responsible for maintaining Ethiopian patent rights and copyrighted materials, and combat pirated software. In general, EIPO is experiencing weakness in staffs and budget, and does not have law enforcement authority. There is also abuse of U.S. trademarks, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors. The government does not control counterfeit goods seizures, and no estimates are available in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is not listed in USTR's Special 301 report and has poor market conduct.