Why should you take steps to protect your IP?

You would not allow others to use your physical property to reap commercial benefits or build their own reputation, would you? Acquiring legal rights to your IP ensures that for a certain period of time, you have exclusive rights to your creation, to fully utilize it as you deem fit and reap the commercial benefits from it. You have the space to level the playing field between yourself and larger more established firms while you play the catch-up game. You may be able to earn royalties from your IP or even exploit certain strategic business partnerships and alliances.

IP Registration in Ghana

The Government of Ghana launched a National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy in January 2016, which aimed to strengthen the legal framework for protection, administration, and enforcement of IPR and promote innovation and awareness. This policy and strategy are based on the main intellectual property laws in Ghana which are the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690); the Patents Act, 2003 (Act 657); the Trademarks Act, 2004 (Act 664); the Industrial Designs Act, 2003 (Act 660); and the Protection Against Unfair Competition Act, 2000 (Act 589).

Registration of all intellectual property rights sits with the Registrar General’s office through the Copyright Office (for copyright and related rights) and the Industrial Property Office (for patents, industrial designs, trademarks.