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- May 11, 2013
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Patent and trademark applications in Kenya hit a record high of 7,788 last year, surpassing requests recorded in the country’s history and signalling increased awareness among innovators on the need to protect their intellectual property rights.
However, the number of patents granted reduced to 245 despite 914 applications compared to the 410 patents granted in 2017, according to data released by Kenya Industrial Property Institute (Kipi).
Kipi Managing Director Sylvance Sange said most of the applications did not meet the requisite conditions and were therefore rejected.
A patent is an exclusive right granted for the protection of an invention. To be granted, the invention must be new, be capable of being used in some kind of industry and must not be obvious.
“Some of these applications did not meet the requirements of the Industrial Property Act (IPA 2001) on patentability such as novelty, inventive step, industrial applicability,” he said.
The law stipulates that all provisional patent applications should be automatically withdrawn by the Industrial Property Administration System (IPAS) upon expiry of 12 months from the date of filing.
“The IPA 2001 provides that a complete or final specification shall be submitted before the expiry of 12 months from date of lodging of the provisional patent application failure to which the application is deemed not to have been properly filled and the system lapses it automatically,” explained Mr Sange.
Again, out of the 6,874 trademarks applications made last year only 5,331 were granted which was again a drop from the 5,705 granted in 2017.
www.businessdailyafrica.com
However, the number of patents granted reduced to 245 despite 914 applications compared to the 410 patents granted in 2017, according to data released by Kenya Industrial Property Institute (Kipi).
Kipi Managing Director Sylvance Sange said most of the applications did not meet the requisite conditions and were therefore rejected.
A patent is an exclusive right granted for the protection of an invention. To be granted, the invention must be new, be capable of being used in some kind of industry and must not be obvious.
“Some of these applications did not meet the requirements of the Industrial Property Act (IPA 2001) on patentability such as novelty, inventive step, industrial applicability,” he said.
The law stipulates that all provisional patent applications should be automatically withdrawn by the Industrial Property Administration System (IPAS) upon expiry of 12 months from the date of filing.
“The IPA 2001 provides that a complete or final specification shall be submitted before the expiry of 12 months from date of lodging of the provisional patent application failure to which the application is deemed not to have been properly filled and the system lapses it automatically,” explained Mr Sange.
Again, out of the 6,874 trademarks applications made last year only 5,331 were granted which was again a drop from the 5,705 granted in 2017.
Kenya’s trademark, patent applications rise to historic high
Successful requests, however, fell as most innovators are said to have withdrawn their applications midway.
www.businessdailyafrica.com