NEWS FROM AFRICA

This chronique of News from Africa covers the period from 2004 to 2009. So as not to depart from the plan adopted in our previous News from Africa, we shall first present the questions concerning the principles of protection and then those relating to the implementation of that protection from a theoretical and practical standpoint. In order better to highlight the varied landscape of literary and artistic property in Africa, we shall make a distinction as far as possible between the States of the African Intellectual Property Organisation (AIPO area), the States of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO area) and other States. With regard to the AIPO area, there is a regional text on literary and artistic property which was adopted in 1977 and constitutes an agreed minimum for the Member States. This text was revised ten years ago. When dealing with the questions, we will also provide a brief update on the progress of the implementation of the regional text in national laws. The ARIPO, for its part,