A three-year project to develop a legal framework that would protect various agricultural products as intellectual property was launched yesterday. The project is supported by the French Development Agency and will focus on coffee production, which is one of Ethiopia's main agricultural products.

Tadese Worku, the Chief Executive Officer of Community Knowledge at the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority, explained that the project would establish a legal framework which protects the intellectual property rights of crops that bear the name of various Ethiopian loalities. This will enable the protection of different products that are mentioned in terms of their quality as intellectual property. The project will also address gaps in the sector, including capacity building and preventing harm caused by counterfeit products.

The project has been welcomed by Minister of Innovation and Technology, Bele Mola (PhD), who highlighted its multi-faceted benefits in protecting Ethiopia's famous agricultural products.

Source (including image): Fana BC