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In 2013, WIPO commissioned the services of an External Consultant, Mr. Ulf Jansson to carry out an assessment of the needs of the Nigeria IP Registry and make recommendations to address them. In addition, a WIPO team comprising Messrs. William Meredith and William O’Reilly also visited the IP Registry to assess the needs and undertake training in the areas of business automation and Madrid system and trademarks law, respectively.
Mr. Jansson’s comprehensive report (attached for ease of reference) made several recommendations, some of which are currently being addressed through WIPO’s technical assistance such as workflow digitization to address backlogs with the installation of IPAS while others are being addressed at the initiative of the IP Registry’s Management.
Funds have been earmarked in the current regular budget as well as under the Japan Funds-In-Trust for Africa and Least-developed Countries (LDCs) for follow-up.
In light of the above, we would propose to carry out an on-the-job training, which is to be charged to the FIT Japan and Africa Bureau’s regular budget for 2014. The training will focus on the following areas:
•Vienna and Nice Classifications
•Search Techniques
•Examination of Trademarks and Industrial Designs
•Opposition: Issues for consideration, Evaluation of evidence, writing of rulings and ratification
•Refusals and issues to be considered on appeal by an applicant
•Patent Substantive Examination
•Patent law and Trademarks law
We attempted to secure an in-house solution i.e. to send colleagues from the Substantive Sectors to provide the Training but no one was available to carry out the Training (please refer to the exchanges of emails attached).
In light of the above, it is proposed to send two experts from the Kenyan Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), namely Mr. Leonard Kosgei, Chief Trade Marks Examiner and Mr. John Maina, Senior Patent Examiner whose terms of reference (attached) shall be under In |