Harare, Zimbabwe 2009

In the annual joint effort of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO) to build patent-drafting capacity in Africa, I again enjoyed the great privilege of participating, as a patent-drafting instructor, at a patent drafting workshop at ARIPO headquarters in Harare. After traveling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2008, and with a fragile "unity government" now in place in Zimbabwe, we returned to the ARIPO headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe with a new group of participants, this time from the following countries: Burundi, Ghana, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. The program included a series of presentations discussing patents and patent-drafting concepts, as well as a series of practical patent claim-drafting exercises. Again, the students were highly committed and made remarkable progress in picking up concepts and skillfully employing claim drafting techniques in just one week.

Again, it was refreshing to meet high-ranking government officials, including the chairwoman of the council of ministers from Lesotho, who fully recognize that a strong intellectual property system is critical to investment and that skilled patent drafting is a critical need in that regard. African leaders recognize that a strong patent system is often needed to introduce new products to a country both from within as well as from outside the country's borders, as many companies will be afraid to enter a market if their innovations cannot be protected. Once again, I appreciated the opportunity to contribute to that mission by sharing my insights into patent law, policy and strategy.

Robert J. Sayre introducing claim-drating exercise at patent drafting workshop in Zimbabwe

As a patent-drafting instructor at a WIPO/ARIPO patent-drafting workshop held at the African Regional Intellectual Property Office in Harare, Zimbawe, on October 19, 2009, I introduce the first claim-drafting exercise to the participants.

Examiners from the Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office arrive to partake in the training.

A smile from Attorney Eric from Rwanda

Gilbert from Ghana, Larry from Liberia and Mavis from Ghana

Rosalyn checks in the participants on the first day

Ronnie and Jacques from Namibia

Gilbert from Ghana and Rodwell from Swaziland with ARIPO Examiner John from Kenya behind

WIPO program coordinator Yumiko

The ARIPO conference room

ARIPO Director General Gift Sibanda

“I am equally pleased to welcome and have the presence of Robert Sayre and Rodney Johnson who are registered Patent Attorneys in Massachusetts, United States of America.”

Joyce from WIPO's Africa Bureau: “I wish to acknowledge the invaluable presence of the two lectures Mr. Rodney Johnson and Mr. Bob Sayre both from the United States of America who have graciously accepted to share their knowledge and expertise in this specialized area.”

Minister Mpeo Mahase-Moiloa of Lesotho (Chairperson of ARIPO Council of Ministers)

“One of the core objectives of ARIPO is to strengthen information, trade and investment flow into Africa. . . . IPR has become a strong tool for the technological development and the stronger the IPR system the more investment.”

Joyce from WIPO, Attorney Bob, Minister Mohau from Lesotho, ARIPO Director General Sibanda, Minister Mahase-Moiloa from Lesotho, Attorney Rod, and Yumiko from WIPO

Bob offering insights on working with inventors

Examiner John Kabare of Kenya explains the ARIPO patenting procedure.

Rod discusses patent claims

Bob explains patent claim design

Here, the participants draft claims to a bicycle.

Participants from Rwanda and LIberia with an ARIPO patent examiner from Tanzania.

Coffee break.

From my hotel room, we see the headquarters of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party at center.

The jacaranda trees that line the boulevards of Harare were in full purple bloom.

Lots of bikes in Zimbabwe, though most are old British 3-speeds.

Zimbabwean mamas wrap their babies onto their backs.

A visit to the Lion Park near Harare on Saturday, where you can drive right past the lions--just stay in the car.

lunch time

Video footage of the big cats at the Harare Lion Park

Joyce bravely holds a young lion.

Bob holds the lion cub.

Here comes an ostrich.

That is one huge bird.

zebra

Here is a kudu; I actually ate some Kudu--it's a bit tough, though quite flavorful.

Zimbabwean women carry many things are on their heads.

Here, I meet an ~300-year-old galapagos tortoise [Geochelane elephontopus (Kamba)]--not sure quite how he found his way to Zimbabwe.

Here is our group.

Here, we see one baboon inside the cage and one baboon, who just jumped the fence, trotting down the smaller fence to meet Rod.

Here he comes.

A babboon atop some balancing rocks, which are found all around Harare.

A trip to Snake World catches the guys' attention.

Our guide shows us a young python at Snake World.

The younger snakes are more dangerous because they don't regulate their venom--they eject all of it at once.

Gilbert from Ghana takes hold of the python.

A chameleon hops onto Rod, though he can't turn red.

Here's the government building where President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangarai held office until Tsvangarai left the country and the MDC announced their boycott of cabinet meetings on the Friday while we were there.

Zim$50 billion, worth about 1 US cent when it went out of circulation this year.

Good advice, always.

Some of the best stone sculptors in Harare are set up here.

I bought a couple pieces from the talented scuptor seated here at work.

Zimbabwe is famous for skilled stone sculptors; here is a gymnast carved from lemon opal that I bought.

Yumiko dishes up from the cast iron pot at Nyama Choma, The Kraal, an ethnic Gocha restaurant.

The shelves are now stocked in Zim supermarkets.

US dollars are now the official currency, though small bills are in short supply and there are no US coins; so you cannot get perfect change at the registers.

Farewell Zimbabwe.