ARIPO patent – selecting countries
If you are approaching the 31 month deadline of your PCT patent, it is time to consider filing an ARIPO regional patent. This will secure protection over a large swathe of Southern Africa. But which ARIPO member countries should you select?
An ARIPO patent covers the following countries:
- Botswana
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- Sudan
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
For each designated country:
- the filing fee of the ARIPO patent increases by US$75, and
- each renewal fee of the ARIPO patent increases by US$40 to US$520 (depending on the year).
Note: The ARIPO examination fee can be reduced significantly by passing an amendment within 18 months following filing (and pre-examination) to reduce the number of claims to 10 or less. For each claim above 10, a surcharge of US$40 is payable.
The table below (based on 2013 data) is useful to select appropriate ARIPO member states:
| ARIPO Country Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | GDP | Population | GDP/Capita |
| Sudan | US$ 70,127m | 35,150,000 | US$ 1,995 |
| Kenya | US$ 55,206m | 43,291,000 | US$ 1,275 |
| Ghana | US$ 44,223m | 26,441,000 | US$ 1,673 |
| Tanzania | US$ 34,238m | 45,950,000 | US$ 745 |
| Uganda | US$ 23,053m | 35,363,000 | US$ 652 |
| Zambia | US$ 22,416m | 14,129,000 | US$ 1,587 |
| Mozambique | US$ 15,329m | 24,491,000 | US$ 626 |
| Botswana | US$ 14,837m | 2,096,000 | US$ 7,079 |
| Zimbabwe | US$ 12,951m | 13,098,000 | US$ 989 |
| Namibia | US$ 12,318m | 2,170,000 | US$ 5,676 |
| Rwanda | US$ 7,431m | 10,780,000 | US$ 689 |
| Sierra Leone | US$ 4,929m | 5,823,000 | US$ 846 |
| Malawi | US$ 3,814m | 15,316,000 | US$ 249 |
| Swaziland | US$ 3,620m | 1,077,000 | US$ 3,361 |
| Lesotho | US$ 2,276m | 1,887,000 | US$ 1,206 |
| Liberia | US$ 1,933m | 3,881,000 | US$ 498 |
| Gambia | US$ 850m | 1,794,000 | US$ 474 |
| TOTAL | US$ 329,551m | 282,737,000 | US$ 1,166 |
The top six GDP countries (in descending order) are: Sudan, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The countries with the largest population (in descending order) are: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ghana and Mozambique.
The countries with the wealthiest citizens (in descending order) are: Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Sudan, Ghana and Zambia.
We suggest selecting at least the following countries::
- Sudan
- Ghana
- Zambia
- Kenya
- Zimbabwe
- Tanzania
- (possibly) Uganda
Tip: File a South African national phase patent through GlobalIPCo for only $399 or a Nigerian national phase patent through GlobalIPCo for only $600.