Multimillion dollar project to develop intellectual property

Deputy Commissioner Lee Joon-Seok of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (second from left) and Director General Fernando dos Santos (second from right) of ARIPO are present at the launch ceremony. (photo courtesy of KIPO)

Published: 03 December 2013

A project that is estimated to cost $5,8 million on the upgrade and modernization of the ICT Infrastructure of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the Zimbabwean Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO) was launched last month in Harare.

According to a statement released by ARIPO, the project will be implemented in two years.

"The project will provide an Intellectual Property (IP) Automation System to support major activities of IP administration of the ARIPO Office, and those of its Member States, to develop online public services and the Automation of IP administration procedures and therefore allowing ARIPO to offer e-services, ICT equipment and transfer of the necessary knowledge, technology and know-how to the IP experts" said the statement.

The statement highlighted that the Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to Zimbabwe, Mr. Kwang-Chul Lew led the ceremony, and the ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Dr. Lee Joon-Seok, and the Director General of ARIPO, Fernando dos Santos, the representative of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Jang Juneho, the representative of the Comptroller of the Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO), Mr. Willie Mushayi.

Technical experts from Korea, WIPO and ARIPO were also among the present.
- bh24