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The AfricaIP Network® is open for all African Intellectual Property professionals, you can Join here. All Participating African Lawyers automatically become members of the AfricaIP Network®. Participating Lawyers are carefully selected according to their years of experience, registration with their Bar Associations or Law Societies, responsiveness and reliability. Lawyers can Sign Up here.
No, you can list yourself or your firm for FREE and start securing clients. You can upgrade at any time to a Premium/Paid account which comes with more benefits. You can email us on support@africanlaw.africa for more details.
Lawyers with complete and strong profiles secure more clients and work on AfricanLaw. You can make sure your profile is fully completed by editing it through your account dashboard. Your lawyer profile should show relevant practice areas, educational qualifications as well any important awards and memberships. In the Practice Areas section, please limit your selections to Legal Areas & Subcategories that best represent your current practice focus and expertise. This also ensures that we'll only email you job posts that are relevant to your practice.
Yes, it is possible to invite other lawyers from the firm. This can be done through the Invite Member button on your lawyer profile. You can also contact us for any assistance.
AfricanLaw handles all payments and requires advance payments from clients before a lawyer commences work. On receipt of an order, the system notifies you whether advance payment has been made or payment is pending. Special arrangements can also be made.
Payments will be made to Lawyers on regular intervals (30, 60 and 90 days). Please see the Terms of Use for Participating Lawyers for further details. Special arrangements can also be made.
No. Any Participating Lawyer who acquires a client through our platform, must transact with the client through the platform on all transactions including future work. Taking clients off the AfricanLaw will result in your removal from the platform and the AfricaIP Network®. Please see the Terms of Use for Participating Lawyers for further details.
A complete and strong profile secures more clients and work. Responsiveness, reliability, professionalism and competitive fees are also critical for securing more clients.
Yes, you can create additional services and invoices through your dashboard.
Our built-in lawyer or service review/rating system helps future clients select the right service provider. Normally, AfricanLaw is not involved in the user review process as this would defeat the purpose of the review system. However, in the event that a client submits an unfair or baseless review of a lawyer, we will make an effort to work with both the client and the lawyer to resolve the issue. You can contact us on support@allthingsipforafrica.com for assistance.
Generally, the practice areas that you indicate on your profile determine the inquiries that are directed to you. Always make sure your profile shows your main practice areas.
Once you have decided on a lawyer to work with, click on the “Hire” button to get started!
- Besides giving you direct access to top rated and verified lawyers in Africa, we help you manage these relationships seamlessly. Here are some of the benefits:
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To create a user account, click here. Complete all the fields or alternatively register with either your Google or LinkedIn account
With a registered user account, it’s easy to keep all the history of all your communication and interactions with service providers as well as receive notifications. You can also ask lawyers follow-up questions if you require clarification from their previous answers.
You can use the Find a Lawyer button and choose either a Lawyer or Law Firm. After that, you can use the ‘Contact’ button on the Lawyer/Law Firm profile.
Each lawyer or law firm on the platform has a detailed profile that shows their work experience and areas of specialisation. Some profiles will also have user ratings and reviews from previous matters handled for clients.
Our platform offers a simple and secure way to exchange and manage legal documents related to your matters. Documents can be uploaded for specific matters through your client dashboard.
Official Fees - any fees charged by a government institution or IP Office for filing documents.
AfricanLaw requires that payments be made in advance prior to a lawyer commencing your work. However, special arrangements can be made for existing clients with separate service agreements.
All work with Lawyers found through us must be paid through our platform. There are benefits that are associated with hiring and paying lawyers through our platform, these include quality assurance and security of your payment. We do not take any responsibility for any work or communication that is taken outside our platform. In the event of anything going wrong, AfricanLaw will not assist or take any responsibility.
If you are unable to pay an invoice in full, please first discuss the payment timeline with us. Some invoices can be broken down into stages of your work and can be paid as such. For such arrangements, please email us on billing@allthingsipforafrica.com for further assistance.
Matter statuses and deadlines can be monitored through the matter timeline on your user dashboard. The timeline shows current statuses of your matters, deadlines for particular actions, etc. You will also receive notifications of any actions taken on your matter as well as notifications about upcoming deadlines.
AfricanLaw uses a multi-class filing system. However, some of the AfricanLaw member states do not use the multi-class system. You will need to ask a lawyer to get expert guidance on the effectiveness and enforceability of multi-class AfricanLaw registrations that cover single-class countries.
The Banjul Protocol on Marks of 19 November 1993.
The ARIPO Office maintains an online database. However, the database is not available for non-official searching.
The AfricanLaw opposition is possible within three months from publication. You will have to file several oppositions in the countries where a potential registration will affect your rights. You can ask a lawyer to get expert guidance.
Yes, cancellation actions must be lodged with the national IP office of the relevant member state.
Enforcement actions must be lodged with the authorities of the member state where the infringement occurs. You can ask a lawyer to get expert guidance.
Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs of 1982.
20 years from the filing date or international filing date. Annuities fall due on the first anniversary of the filing date or international filing date. However, the national Patent laws in Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia do not specifically provide for a 20-year term for an AfricanLaw patent.
Computer programmes are not patentable in both regions.
Yes, there is formal and substantive examination.
Methods of treatment, surgery or diagnosis are not patentable. However, patent protection can be secured for pharmaceutical compounds.
The International Classification system is applied, and multi-class filing is also possible.
The Paris Convention and the Madrid System.
In addition to ordinary trademarks, there is provision for collective, sound and certification marks.
The Bangui Agreement of 2 March 1977 on the creation of an African Intellectual Property Organization and its amendments.
The Registry maintains an online database. However, this database is not available for non-official searching.
Registration term is 10 years renewable for similar periods.
Opposition is possible after the publication of the application. The opposition period is three (3) months from the publication date.
A trademark can be canceled for non-use if it has not been used within a period of 5 years. However, use in any member state will suffice.
A trademark owner can sue for infringement and this right extends to similar goods or services. Infringement cases are brought before the civil courts of member states. You can ask a lawyer to get professional advice.
The OAPI Office maintains an online database. However, this database is not available for non-official searching. You will need a resident lawyer.
Absolute novelty is required. However, novelty will not be destroyed by disclosure of the invention to the public within 12 months from the filing date.
Methods of treatment, surgery or diagnosis are not patentable. However, patent protection can be secured for pharmaceutical compounds.
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