Practice Area
Intellectual Property Law
A brand that isn't registered in Ethiopia belongs, in practice, to whoever registers it first. We put your name, work and inventions on the record — and act fast when others use them.
Ethiopia is a first-to-file jurisdiction and is not a member of the Madrid system, so international registrations do not automatically extend here. Foreign brands entering the market and Ethiopian creators building one both need local filings with the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA). We handle the full lifecycle: search, filing, prosecution, renewal and enforcement.
How we help
- Trademark availability searches, applications, oppositions and renewals before the EIPA
- Copyright registration and protection for software, music, film, literary and artistic works
- Patent and utility-model applications and inventor advisory
- Licensing, franchising and technology-transfer agreements
- Trade-secret protection through confidentiality and non-compete frameworks
- Enforcement: cease-and-desist, administrative seizure and infringement litigation
Enforcement that actually bites
Registration is only useful if you act on it. We combine administrative remedies, customs measures and court action to stop counterfeit goods and copycat branding — and we move quickly, because in infringement matters delay is read as tolerance.
Who we act for
Ethiopian manufacturers and creatives, franchisors entering the market, software companies, musicians and studios, and international brand owners protecting their marks in Ethiopia.