Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, including inventions, innovations, designs, brand names, symbols, literary and artistic works, and new plant varieties. Protecting intellectual property enables creators, innovators and businesses to safeguard their ideas, prevent unauthorised use and turn creativity into valuable commercial assets.

• Patents: Protect new inventions, products and industrial processes.
• Utility models: Protect practical innovations that provide a new or improved function.
• Industrial designs: Protect the unique shape, appearance or ornamental features of a product.
• Trademarks: Protect names, logos, symbols and other signs that distinguish the goods or services of one business from another.
• Technovations: Recognise solutions developed by employees to address specific challenges within their organisations.
• Copyright and related rights: Protect literary and artistic works, including books, music, films, photographs, software and other creative content.
• Plant breeders’ rights: Protect breeders and developers of new plant varieties. 
• Trade secrets: Protect confidential business information, processes, formulas and knowledge that provide a competitive advantage. 

Intellectual property protection:

• Protects creators, inventors and innovators from unauthorised copying or commercial use.
• Helps businesses turn ideas and innovations into income-generating assets.
• Builds consumer confidence in Kenyan brands and products.
• Enables businesses to attract investors, enter new markets and create employment.
• Supports research, innovation and technology development.
• Protects Kenyan creative works, traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.
• Promotes value addition and improves the competitiveness of Made in Kenya products in local and export markets. 
• Helps combat counterfeiting and protects the reputation of genuine products. 

Effective IP protection is essential to Kenya’s industrial transformation. It enables the country to move beyond exporting raw materials towards developing, branding and selling high-value products and services.

Select the relevant institution based on the type of intellectual property you wish to protect:

• Patents, utility models, industrial designs and trademarks: Apply through the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI).
• Copyright and related rights: Register through the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO).
• Plant breeders’ rights: Apply through the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS).