African Regional Intellectual Property Organization

The African regional Intellectual Property Organization(ARIPI) is an Intergovernmental organization established to pool the resources of its member countries in industrial property matters in order to avoid duplication of financial and human resources. Thus the preamble to the Lusaka Agreement clearly states that member states are "aware of the advantage to be derived by them from the effective and continuous exchange of information and harmonization and co-ordination of their laws and activities in industrial property matters". Member states also recognized that the "creation of an African regional industrial property organization for the study and promotion of and co-operation in industrial property matters would best serve" that purpose.