Overview
Mozambique secures intellectual property rights through the Instituto de Propriedade Industrial (IPI), which administers trademarks, patents, and industrial designs at the national level. The country is also a member of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), offering local and foreign applicants a choice between national or regional filings.
Mozambique’s IP framework aligns with globally recognized practices, enabling rights holders to obtain protection and proceed with enforcement actions if infringements occur. Applications comply with formalities overseen by IPI, with both national and ARIPO routes ensuring adequate coverage in Mozambique’s growing market.
International Conventions
Mozambique is a contracting party to several international treaties that inform its IP regulations. These include:
Paris Convention
Berne Convention
TRIPS Agreement
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
IP office
Trademark applications in Mozambique are filed with the Instituto da Propriedade Industrial. The country follows a single-class application system, meaning each application must cover only one class of goods or services. If protection is sought in multiple classes, separate applications must be filed for each class.
Applicants must submit a clear reproduction of the trademark and pay the required fees.
Substantive examination ensures distinctive character and checks for conflicts with prior trademarks.
Registrations remain valid for 10 years from the filing date, renewable in successive 10-year periods.
A Declaration of Intention to Use (DIU) must be filed within five years from the registration date. Failure to submit the DIU may result in the cancellation of the registration for non-use.
Applicants must accurately provide their name, address, and the appropriate classes of goods or services.
As a member of ARIPO under the Banjul Protocol, Mozambique also allows trademark applicants to seek broader regional protection via ARIPO filings.
Upon successful registration, owners can enforce their trademark rights within Mozambique through administrative or judicial proceedings if infringement arises.
Patents in Mozambique must be filed directly at IPI or via ARIPO for broader coverage in designated member states. Inventions must meet novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability.
The patent term is 20 years from the filing date, subject to maintenance fees.
Applicants must submit a detailed specification, claims, and supporting documents describing the invention.
A substantive examination verifies patentability criteria under Mozambican regulations.
As a PCT contracting party, Mozambique enables foreign applicants to enter the national phase after an international patent application.
Once granted, the patent confers exclusive rights, empowering the holder to take infringement actions locally.
Industrial design registrations in Mozambique protect a product’s ornamental features. Applications may be lodged with IPI or pursued regionally through ARIPO.
Applicants provide representations or drawings of the design and settle the prescribed fees.
The design is generally protected for five years from the filing date, renewable every 5 years for a total of 25 years.
Applicant details must be thorough and accurate, ensuring valid registration.
A registered industrial design grants exclusive rights to prevent unauthorized manufacture, sale, or import of products that replicate or closely resemble the protected design in Mozambique.
This information does not constitute legal advice; it is for informational purposes only.
