Arba Minch University has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) that will facilitate information on Patent Rights, access to database and free registration of inventions made by an individual or group from the university. 

On behalf of AMU, President, Dr Damtew Darza, and EIPO Director, Mr Earmias Yemanberhan inked this three-year agreement. Further modalities in this regard will be the sole mandate of AMU’s University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer Directorate, Dr Tolera Seda, informed.

He adds, his office will coordinate and facilitate the process to get inventions patented and write on behalf of inventors. A committee specifically constituted will scrutinize the content and ascertain the veracity of inventions, which further get vetted by EIPO.

The MoU states that EIPO will have to examine inventions and accord patent freebie. It will organize trainings for AMU staff on how to use Patent database, provide data about Intellectual Property (IP) Rights and also host seminars, discussion, wherein AMU staff will be invitees, etc.

This agreement expects AMU to utilize patent information for reverse engineering, to get access to database, focal person should be assigned and make physical resources available for the training on patent database usage. University will collect data about IP, write document for an inventor or inventors and also organize patent materials, etc.

On sidelines of this pact, Patent Administration Team Leader, Mr Firew Tsegaye, on behalf of director, said EIPO deals with Trademark, Patent and Copy Rights. Our Patent Directorate registers inventions, manages patent registration, utility model and industrial designs and vets legitimacy of inventions. It also facilitates transfer of technology to resolve community’s issues through dissemination of patent information.

He informed that this pact is about using common grounds to avail patent information that comes through Technology Innovation Support Centre (TISC) project. Therefore, shortly AMU will be signing this project, which is one of World Intellectual Property Organization’s programs that provides innovators in developing countries with free access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services. It helps them to exploit innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their IP Rights.

TISC Project will enable stakeholders in searching and retrieving technology information, training in database search, on-demand searches like monitoring technology, competitors and basic information on industrial property laws, technology commercialization and marketing, etc.

The duration of project will be three-year that is renewable. On financial liability, he said, mostly, if training conducted at EIPO office, AMU should cover the cost incurred on their staff, similarly, when EIPO trainers are called to AMU, their expenses must be reimbursed by AMU.

It’s learnt that once, TISC project gets renewed, EIPO will further sign pacts with AMU and give user and password to access patent database, etc.

(Corporate Communication Directorate)