Zimbabwe is home to the majestic Victoria Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world. Zimbabwe is situated in Southern Africa and it is bordered by five (5) States: Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia.

It has an established administrative and judicial system established for the protection of intellectual property rights. Its legislation for protection of intellectual property was first promulgated over 100 years ago. It has procedures and laws for registration of Patents, Trademarks, Industrial designs, Geographical indications, Integrated circuits and Plant Breeders Rights. It has updated its Trademark legislation and it is now fully compliant with Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and international requirements for protection of well-known marks.

Zimbabwe is a member of ARIPO and serves as its host country. It has ratified the Harare and Banjul protocols of ARIPO. Its national system for protection coincides with the ARIPO system affording applicants the ability to choose either system.

Zimbabwe is a member of the Paris Convention, Berne Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

With respect to commercial transactions, Zimbabwe has ratified the following conventions and agreements:

• New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards;

• Convention on Settlement of Investment Disputes;

• The Overseas Private Investment Corporation;

• The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA);

• Arbitration Act consistent with the UN CITRAL Model legislation.

If you require any further information, we would be pleased to assist you.