Summary of the Stakeholders’ Consultation Forum on the Draft Patent Proclamation Amendment

A consultation forum was held in Bishoftu on June 12-13, 2025, to discuss amendments to the existing Proclamation No. 123/1995 on Inventions, Minor Inventions, and Industrial Designs. The forum aimed to gather final inputs for the draft amendment following a series of stakeholder consultations. Participants included members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, judicial institutions, university scholars, and representatives from various federal government offices.

Dr. Negeri Lencho, Chairperson of the House of Peoples’ Representatives Standing Committee on Human Resources Development, Recruitment, and Technology, attended the first day of the forum as a guest of honor and delivered a keynote address. He emphasized that Ethiopia possesses a wealth of historical and societal knowledge, and fostering a culture and system that encourages innovation and technology is essential. He stressed the importance of understanding and prioritizing intellectual property protection to achieve national and societal transformation goals, noting that it plays a critical role in leveraging the sector’s potential.

Dr. Negeri further highlighted that a knowledge-based economic system and robust intellectual property protection can address national challenges. He underscored the need for a system to recognize and protect innovation and research outcomes, as well as close collaboration with universities, research institutions, and other stakeholders to advance the sector. He affirmed the Standing Committee’s support for efforts to modernize the patent proclamation, ensuring it protects citizens’ innovation rights, enhances global competitiveness, and safeguards national interests.

Ato Woldu Yimessel, Director General of the Authority, stated that a strong intellectual property rights protection system is vital for transforming innovative ideas into tangible assets within a knowledge-based economy. He noted that implementing a strong patent system aligned with international principles and national interests would ensure effective and reliable innovation protection, encourage innovation, attract foreign direct investment, facilitate knowledge and technology transfer, and enhance global competitiveness. He asserted the Authority’s active efforts to integrate intellectual property protection into the country’s innovation and technology development strategy.

The draft amendment presented for consultation incorporated inputs from previous forums, addressing strengths and weaknesses identified. The forum was crucial for confirming these inputs and gathering concluding remarks. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) provided technical support through its expert team. Herman Cortes, a member of the expert team, provided insights into other countries’ experiences and the alignment of the draft amendment with international intellectual property agreements.

Frew Hailu, Executive Officer of Legal Services, explained the necessity of amending the patent proclamation and its key contents. Participants provided feedback on both general and specific issues, engaging in thorough discussions.

In the forum’s concluding remarks, Deputy Director General Endalu Mosissa noted that the direct participation of stakeholders and their comprehensive inputs would enhance the quality of the draft proclamation. He expressed gratitude to the participants, as well as to the professionals and institutions providing technical support for the amendment process.