REGULATORY UPDATES
A. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, TRADE, AND INVESTMENT
i. Update on the Intellectual Property Automated System (IPAS): On 23rd September, 2024, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) visited the Commercial Law Department of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment which houses both the Trademarks Registry and the Patents and Designs Registry to assess the situation with the IPAS platform which hitherto has not been functioning optimally and has begun working on an upgrade of the platform.
ii. Update from the Nigerian Patents and Designs Registry: On 19th September 2024, an official update was circulated informing the public that patent applications would now be processed more swiftly, as the platform that was experiencing downtime has now been fixed by the technical team. It also stated that when an application is still undergoing examination, applicants can request a delay in processing if amendments need to be made. However, if the application has already been processed and amendments are necessary, amendment fees must be paid first.