Overview
Ghana protects trademarks, patents, and industrial designs through a dual system: national registrations overseen by the Registrar General’s Department and regional filings via the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO). This combination grants applicants a choice between local protection in Ghana alone or broader coverage stretching across multiple ARIPO member states.
Ghana’s IP laws and practices adhere to accepted international norms, providing a secure environment for local and foreign applicants. Enforcement measures include both administrative and judicial avenues, ensuring that rights holders can take action against infringement within the country.
International Conventions
Ghana participates in various international treaties and agreements that shape its IP framework. These include:
• Paris Convention
• Berne Convention
• TRIPS Agreement
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
• Madrid Protocol
• Hague agreement
IP office
Trademark registration in Ghana is administered by the Registrar General’s Department. A multi-class filing approach is adopted, meaning applicants can include several classes of goods or services in one application.
- Applicants must present a clear representation of the trademark and pay official fees.
- A substantive examination is conducted to verify compliance with distinctiveness requirements and to check for earlier conflicting trademarks.
- Registrations are valid for 10 years from the filing date, with the option of renewing for further 10-year terms.
- Applicants must accurately provide their details (name, address) and specify the classes for which they seek protection.
- As a member of ARIPO, Ghana also allows for regional trademark filings under certain ARIPO protocols.
Additionally, Ghana’s participation in the Madrid Protocol enables international applicants to designate Ghana through a single international application.
Patents in Ghana are obtained by filing with the Registrar General’s Department or through ARIPO, covering designated member states. Patentable inventions must demonstrate novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability.
- A patent has a 20-year term from the filing date, contingent on payment of annual maintenance fees.
- Applicants submit a specification, claims, and any supporting documentation describing the invention.
- A substantive examination confirms compliance with patentability requirements.
- Ghana’s membership in the PCT allows applicants with international filings to enter the national phase in Ghana.
Once granted, a patent confers exclusive rights within Ghana. Patent holders may seek remedies and damages in local courts should infringement arise.
Industrial design registrations in Ghana protect the ornamental or aesthetic elements of products. Applications may be filed at the Registrar General’s Department or via ARIPO for a broader geographical span.
- Applicants must submit representations of the design and settle the applicable fees.
- The design is protected initially for 5 years, renewable twice for a total of 15 years.
A registered industrial design gives its proprietor the right to prevent unauthorized manufacture or importation of goods with a substantially similar appearance in Ghana.
