IP/N/1/BWA/I/3  
 
29 July 2013  
(13-4051) Page: 1/58 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects  
of Intellectual Property Rights  
 Original: English/anglais/inglés  
 
 MAIN DEDICATED INTEL LECTUAL PROPERTY LAW S AND  
REGULATIONS NOTIFIED  UNDER ARTICLE 63.2  
OF THE AGREEMENT  
 
BOTSWANA  
This document reproduces the consolidated text1 of the Industrial Property Act, Act No. 8 of 2010 
as notified by the  Delegation of Botswana on 21 June 2013 under Article  63.2 of the Agreement 
(see document IP/N/1/ BWA/2 ). 
 
Conseil des aspects des droits de propriété  
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce  
 
 
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET RÉGLEMENTATIONS CONS ACRÉES À  
LA PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLE CTUELLE NOTIFIÉES AU  TITRE  
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE  L'ACCORD  
 
BOTSWANA  
Le présent document contient le texte1 mis à jour de la Loi n° 8 de 2010 sur la propriété 
industrielle , notifiée par la délégation du Botswana le 21  juin 2013 au titre de l'article  63:2 de 
l'Accord (voir le docu ment IP/N/1/BWA/2).  
 
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad  
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio  
 
 
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADO S A LA  
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUA L NOTIFICADOS EN VIR TUD 
DEL PÁRRAFO 2 DEL AR TÍCULO 63 DEL ACUERD O 
 
BOTSW ANA 
En el presente documento se reproduce el texto1 refundido de la Ley de propiedad industrial, 
Ley N° 8 de 2010, notificada por la delegación  de Botswana  el 21 de junio de 2013 en virtud de lo 
dispuesto en el párrafo  2 del artículo  63 del Acuerdo (véase el documento IP/N/1/ BWA/2 ). 
 
                                                
1 In English only./En anglais seulement./En inglés solamente.  IP/N/1/BWA/I/3  
 
- 2 - 
 
  PP 3-58 - Offset (Pdf file attached)  
PP 3-58 - Offset (fichier Pdf joint)  
PP 3-58 - Offset (fichero Pdf adjunto)  
 
 
 
 A.17
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY ACT, 2010
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
PART I  – Preliminary
1. Short title and commencement
2. Interpretation
3. Continuance of Marks, Patents and Designs Office
4. Registrar, Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrars of Marks, Patents and Designs
5. Functions of Registrar
6. Seal of office7. Registers for patents, etc.
PART II – Patents
8. Patentable inventions9. Matter excluded from patent protection
10. Right to an invention
11. Who may apply for patent
12. Application for patent
13. Withdrawal and amendment of application
14. Unity of invention
15. Division of application16. Joint applicants
17. Right of priority
18. Conversion of patent application into application for utility model certificate19. Information concerning corresponding foreign applications for patents
20. Filing date of application for patent
21. Publication, observations and opposition22. Examination of applications
23. Grant of patent
24. Rights conferred by patent25. Exceptions to rights conferred by patent
26. Transfer of rights to patent
27. Proceedings for infringement of patent28. Duration and maintenance of patentNo. 8 of 2010
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29. HARARE Protocol Patents
30. Joint patentees31. Compulsory licences in the public interest or for competition
32. Importation of patented products by Government or third party
33. Compulsory licences for failure to exploit patent34. Licences in respect of dependent patents
35. Termination of contracts relating to licences
36. Invalidation of patents
PART III –  International Application Under the Patent Cooperation Treaty
37. Effect of international application designating Botswana38. Office as receiving, designated and elected office39. National processing
40. Entering national phase
41. Processing of international applications
PART IV – Utility Model Certificates
42. Applicability of provisions relating to patents43. Duration of utility model certificate44. Conversion of application for utility model certificate into application for patent
PART V –  Industrial Designs
45. Registrable industrial design
46. Application for registration of design
47. Right of priority48. Filing date of application
49. Examination of application
50. Registration of design51. Right to industrial design
52. Transfer of right to design
53. Rights conferred by registration54. Exceptions to rights conferred by registration
55. Proceedings for infringement of industrial design
56. Duration and renewal of registered design57. HARARE Protocol Designs
58. Inspection of registered design
59. Invalidation of registration of design
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PART VI – International Registration under the Hague Agreement
60. Examination and refusal of protection, etc.
61. Effects of an international registration
62. Invalidation of internationally registered design63. Recordings in the International Register
PART VII –  Layout designs of integrated circuits
64. Subject matter of protection for layout designs65. Originality of layout design
66. Application for layout design
67. Filing date of application for layout design68. Registration of layout design
69. Rights conferred by registration
70. Exceptions to rights conferred by registration71. Invalidation of registered layout design
72. Duration of protection
73. Importation by persons other than owner
PART VIII –  Marks, Collective Marks and Trade Names
74. Acquisition of exclusive right to mark75. Saving of vested rights
76. Application for registration of mark
77. Filing date of application for registration of mark78. Examination of application for registration of mark
79. Opposition to registration of mark
80. Registration of mark81. Rights conferred by registration
82. Exceptions to rights conferred by registration
83. Proceedings for infringement of mark84. Transfer of rights in mark
85. Duration and renewal of registration of mark
86. Invalidation of registration of mark87. Removal of mark on grounds of non-use
88. Reinstatement of lapsed mark rights
89. Banjul Protocol on marks90. Collective marks
91. Invalidation of registration of collective mark
92. Licensing of marks and collective marks
93. Trade names
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PART IX – International Registration under Madrid Protocol
94. Initial examination of international applications
95. Lapse of basic application or basic registration
96. Initial refusal of registration by Office97. Refusal of registration by Office
98. Registration under Madrid Protocol
99. Opposition to protection of internationally registered mark
100. Invalidation of internationally registered mark
101. Time limit of notification to International Bureau
102. Collective and certification marks103. Replacement of internationally registered mark
104. Transformation
PART X  – Geographical Indications
105. Applicability of provisions relating to marks106. Acquisition of exclusive right to geographical indication
107. Application for registration of geographical indication108. Examination of application for registration of geographical indication
109. Opposition to registration of geographical indication
110. Registration of geographical indication
111. Rights of registered owner, etc.
112. Exceptions to rights conferred by registration
113. Invalidation of registration of geographical indication
PART XI – Acts of Unfair Competition
114. Acts of unfair competition
PART XII – Traditional Knowledge and Handicrafts
115. Registration of traditional knowledge
116. Who may register traditional knowledge
117. Rights conferred by traditional knowledge
118. Notification of registration of traditional knowledge
119. Invalidation of registration of traditional knowledge
120. Expiry of protection of traditional knowledge
121 Specific rights over traditional knowledge
122. Right to institute infringement proceedings123. Transfer, assigning, etc., of rights over traditional knowledge
124. Exploitation of traditional knowledge rights by others
125. Granting of licences by owners of traditional knowledge126. Registration of handicrafts
127. Validity of industrial property rights relating to traditional knowledge
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PART XIII –  Miscellaneous Provisions
128. Changes in ownership
129. Licence contract
130. Agents131. Correction of errors
132. Exercise of discretionary powers
133. Extension of time for applications134. Offences and penalties
135. Appeals
136. Application of international treaties137. Regulations
138. Repeal of Cap. 68:03
139. Savings
140. Act to bind State
An Act to provide for the protection of industrial property in
Botswana, giving effect to various international conventions, treatiesand protocols to which Botswana is a party and for matters relatedthereto.Date of Assent: 26/04/2010
Date of Commencement: ON NOTICE
ENACTED by the Parliament of Botswana.
PART I – Preliminary
1.This Act may be cited as the Industrial Property Act, 2010 and
shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by Orderpublished in the Gazette, appoint.
2.In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“ARIPO” means the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization;“Banjul Protocol” means the Banjul Protocol on Marks of 27th April,
1994 as last revised or amended;
“basic application” means an application for registration of a mark filed
with the Office under section 76;
“basic registration” means the registration of a mark under section 80;“Budapest Treaty” means the Budapest Treaty of 28 April, 1977 as last
revised or amended including the Regulations, on the internationalrecognition of the deposit of micro-organisms for the purposes ofpatent procedure;
“collective mark” means any visible sign belonging to a collective owner
and capable of distinguishing the origin or other commoncharacteristic, including the quality, of goods or services of differententerprises which use the sign subject to the control of that owner;Short title and
commencement
Interpretation
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“Common Regulations” means, in respect of industrial designs, the
Common Regulations adopted under the Hague Agreement and,
in respect of marks, the Common Regulations under the MadridProtocol;
“convention country” means a country which is a party to the Paris
Convention;
“Court” means the High Court of Botswana;“geographical indication” means an indication or sign which identifies
goods as originating in the territory of a country or a region orlocality in a country where a quality, reputation or othercharacteristic of the goods is essentially attributable to thatgeographical origin;
“HARARE Protocol” means the Protocol on Patents and Industrial
Designs Within the Framework of the African RegionalIndustrial Property Organization (ARIPO) adopted at Harare,Zimbabwe, on December 10, 1982 as last revised or amended;
“industrial design” means any composition of lines or colours or any
three dimensional form, whether or not associated with lines orcolours, which gives a special appearance to a product ofindustry or handicraft;
“integrated circuit” means a circuit, in its final or intermediate form,
in which the elements, at least one of which is an active element,and some or all of the interconnections are integrally formed inor on a piece of material and that is intended to perform anelectronic function;
“International Bureau” means the International Bureau of the World
Intellectual Property Organization (in this Act referred to as“WIPO”);
“International Classification”, in respect of marks, means the
classification according to the Nice Agreement concerning theInternational Classification of Goods and Services for thePurposes of the Registration of Marks, of June 15, 1957, as lastrevised or amended, and, in respect of industrial designs, meansthe classification according to the Locarno Agreementconcerning the International Classification for IndustrialDesigns, of October 8, 1968, as last revised or amended;
“International Patent Classification” means the classification
according to the Strasbourg Agreement of March 24, 1971 aslast revised or amended;
“International Register” means the official collection of data
concerning international registrations, as maintained by theInternational Bureau;
“invention” means an idea of an inventor which permits in practice
the solution to a specific problem in the field of technology;
“Journal” means the journal of marks, patents and designs referred to
in section 5 (e) ;
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“Madrid Protocol” means the Madrid Protocol on International
Registration of Marks adopted in Madrid on 27th June, 1989 as
last revised or amended;
“mark” means any visible sign capable of distinguishing the goods or
services of an enterprise;
“Master” means the Master of the High Court;“Office” means the Patents, Marks and Designs Office referred to in
section 3;
“office of origin” means the office with which the basic application was
filed or by which the basic registration was made;
“Paris Convention” means the Paris Convention for the Protection of
Industrial Property of March 20, 1883, as last revised or amended;
“patent” means a title granted to protect an invention under this Act;“Patent Cooperation Treaty” means the Patent Cooperation Treaty of
19th June, 1970, as last revised or amended;
“patentee” means a person, or a successor-in-title to the person, to whom
a patent has been granted under this Act;
“priority date” means the date of the earlier application that serves as
the basis for the right of priority provided for in the ParisConvention;
“Registrar” means the Registrar of Marks, Patents and Designs appointed
under section 4;
 “right of priority” means the right of priority provided for in Article 4
of the Paris Convention;
“the Hague Agreement” means the Hague Agreement concerning the
International Registration of Industrial Designs as last revised oramended;
“the 1999 Act” means the Act of the Hague Agreement signed in Geneva
on July 2, 1999;
“trade name” means the name or designation by which a business or
enterprise is distinguished;
“traditional knowledge” means an idea, knowledge, practice, use or
invention, written or unwritten which, may be associated tobiological diversity, is a cultural, traditional or spiritual belief orvalue of a group of people;
“TRIPS Agreement” means the Agreement on Trade-related aspects of
Intellectual Property contained in Annex 1C of the Agreementestablishing the World Trade Organization, concluded on April 15,1994 as last revised or amended; and
“utility model” means a technical creation that consists of a new shape
or configuration of an object or of a component of an object thatincreases its functionality or utility.
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3.The Marks, Patents and Designs Office established in terms of
section 3 of the Act repealed under section 138 of this Act shall continue
to exist as if it has been established under this Act.
4.(1) There shall be a Registrar of Marks, Patents and Designs
(referred to in this Act as “the Registrar”) who  shall —
(a)be a public officer;
(b)subject  to  the  control  of  the  Minister,  be  responsible for theadministration of this Act; and
(c)perform  such  functions  and  exercise  such  powers as  may beconferred on him or her by this Act or any other enactment.
(2) The Registrar shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions
of the Public Service Act.
(3) There shall be a Deputy Registrar of Marks, Patents and Designs,
and such number of Assistant Registrars as it may be necessary to appointfor the efficient functioning of the Marks, Patents and Designs Office.
(4) The Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrars shall be public
officers and shall, likewise, be appointed in accordance with theprovisions of the Public Service Act and perform such functions andexercise such powers as the Registrar may lawfully perform or exerciseunder this Act or any other enactment.
5.Without derogating from the generality of section 4, the Registrar
shall —
(a)process all applications made in terms of this Act;
(b)grant patents and utility model certificates;
(c)register industrial designs, marks, collective marks, geographicalindications and traditional knowledge;
(d)administer  granted  patents  and  utility model  certificates  andregistered industrial designs, marks, collective marks, geographicalindications and traditional knowledge; and
(e)establish  and  maintain  a  Journal  of  marks,  patents,  designs,geographical indications and traditional knowledge in which heor she shall publish all matters that are required to be publishedunder this Act.
6.The Registrar shall have a seal of office which shall be affixed to
every document issued or granted and to any copy issued in lieu of theoriginal document.
7.(1) The Registrar shall maintain separate registers for patents,
utility model certificates, industrial designs, marks, geographicalindications and traditional knowledge and shall, in a section of the registerof marks created for that purpose, register collective marks.
(2) There shall be entered in the registers referred to in subsection
(1) such particulars as are required by this Act and such further particularsas the Minister may, by regulations, prescribe.
(3) Any person may, upon payment of the prescribed fee, and in
accordance with any prescribed conditions, consult, inspect or make a copyof, or obtain an extract from, any register referred to in subsection (1).Cap. 26:01
Functions of
Registrar
Seal of Office
Registers for
patents, etc.Continuance
of Marks,
Patents andDesigns Office
Registrar,
DeputyRegistrar and
Assistant
Registrars ofMarks, Patents
and Designs
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PART II – Patents
8.(1) An invention shall be patentable if it is new, involves an
inventive step, and is capable of industrial application.
(2) An invention may be or relate to a product or a process.
(3) An invention is considered to be new if it does not form part of
the state of the art.
(4) For the purposes of this Act, the state of the art in relation to an
invention, means anything which has been disclosed to the public,whether in Botswana or outside Botswana, in a tangible form, orally, byuse or in any other way, prior to the filing or priority date of theapplication claiming the invention.
(5) For the purpose of determining the novelty of a claimed invention,
a matter contained in another application filed with the Office and havingan earlier filing or priority date shall form part of the state of the art, ifthe application is published under this Act.
(6) Disclosure of information which would otherwise affect the
patentability of an invention claimed in the application shall not affect thepatentability of that invention where the information was disclosed by —
(a)the applicant or his or her predecessor in title; or
(b)a third party that obtained the information directly or indirectlyfrom the applicant or his or her predecessor in title, if the
disclosure took place  — (i) during the twelve months preceding the filing date; or
(ii) where  priority  is  claimed, during  the  twelve monthspreceding the priority date of the application.
(7) An invention shall be considered as involving an inventive step
if, having regard to the state of the art relevant to the application claimingthe invention as defined in subsection (4), it would not have been obviousto a person having ordinary skill in the art.
(8) An invention shall be considered as being capable of industrial
application if it can be used in trade, or in any kind of industry includinghandicraft, agriculture, fishery and other services.
9.(1) For the purposes of this Act, the following shall not be regarded
as inventions and shall be excluded from patent protection —
(a)a discovery or a plant, animal, micro-organism or substance asfound in nature, including the human body;
(b)a scientific theory or mathematical method;
(c)a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or other aesthetic creation;
(d)a scheme, rule or method for doing business, performing a mentalact or playing a game;
(e)a computer program.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, the following shall not be protected
by patents, even if they are inventions —Patentable
inventions
Matter
excluded frompatentprotection
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(a)meth ods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or
therapy, as well as diagnostic methods practiced in relation thereto,
except products for use in any such methods;
(b)an invention the commercial exploitation of which is necessary to
protect public order or morality including protection of human or
animal health, plant life or to avoid prejudice to the environment;
(c)plants and animals other than micro-organisms;
(d)essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals.
10.(1) The right to a patent shall belong to the inventor.
(2) If two or more persons have made an invention jointly, the right to
the invention shall belong to them jointly.
(3) Where two or more per sons have made the same invention but
independently of each other, the person whose application bears theearliest filing date, or, if priority is claimed, the person whose applicationbears the earliest validly claimed priority date shall, unless thatapplication is abandoned, withdrawn or rejected by the Registrar, havethe right to the patent.
(4) Where an invention is made in execution of a contract of
employment, the right to the patent shall, in the absence of any agreementto the contrary, belong to the employer.
(5) The inventor shall be named as such in the patent, unless, in a
special declaration in writing signed by him or her and addressed to theRegistrar, he or she indicates that he or she wishes not to be named, and anypromise or undertaking by the inventor made to any person to the effectthat he or she will make such a declaration shall be without legal effect.
11.(1) An application for a patent in respect of an invention may be
made by the inventor or by any other  person who has acquired the right
to apply from the inventor.
(2) Unless otherwise agreed, joint inventors may jointly apply for a
patent.
12.(1) Every application for a patent shall be filed with the Registrar
and shall contain —
(a)a request;
(b)a description;
(c)one or more claims defining the matter for which protection is sought;
(d)drawings (where referred to in the description or the claims);
(e)an abstract in the prescribed form;
and shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed.(2) A request referred to in subsection (1) shall contain a petition
that a patent be granted, the name of and other prescribed informationconcerning the applicant, the inventor and the agent, if any, and the titleof the invention.
(3) Where the applicant is not the inventor, the request shall be
accompanied by a statement justifying the applicant’s right to the patent.Right to an
invention
Who may
apply forpatent
Application
for patent
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(4) The description set out in the application shall disclose the
invention in a manner which is sufficiently clear and complete to enable
a person having ordinary skill in the art to carry out the invention, andshall indicate at least one mode known to the applicant in which theinvention can be performed.
(5) Where an invention refers to or involves the use of biological
material that is not available to the public and cannot be described inthe patent application in such a manner as to enable the invention to bereproduced by a person skilled in the art, the description shall be regardedas inadequate for the purposes of this Act unless —
(a)the biological material has been deposited with a depositary
institution recognised by the Minister no later than the date onwhich the patent application was filed at the Office;
(b)the application as filed contains relevant information availableto the applicant on the characteristics of the biological materialdeposited;
(c)the application states the name of the depository institution andthe deposit accession number; and
(d)other prescr ibed conditions regarding the formalities for the
deposit and the supply of samples of the deposited material arecomplied with.
(6) For purposes of subsection 5 (a) an international depositary
authority recognised under the Budapest Treaty shall be recognisedwithout requiring a Minister’s decision to recognise it.
(7) A claim referred to in subsection (1) shall be clear and concise
and shall be fully supported by the description, and the description andany drawings filed may be used to interpret the claim.
(8) An abstract referred to in subsection (1) shall not be taken into
account for the purpose of interpreting the scope of the protection butshall merely serve as technical information.
13.(1) An application for a patent may, at any time before the patent
is granted, be withdrawn by the applicant.
(2) The applicant may, of his or her own initiative at any time before the
grant of a patent, amend or correct his or her application.
(3) The applicant shall not, in amending his or her application under
this section, include any material matter which was not disclosed in theinitial application as filed.
14.(1) An application for a patent shall be in respect of a single invention
or, where it is in respect of a group of inventions, the inventions shall be solinked as to form a single general inventive concept or have a unity ofinvention.
(2) The fact that a patent has been granted on an application that did not
comply with the requirement of unity of invention shall not be a ground forthe invalidation or revocation of the patent.
Withdrawal
and
amendment ofapplication
Unity of
invention
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15.(1) An applicant may, at any time before the grant of a patent,
divide his or her application into two or more applications (in this Act
referred to as “divisional applications”), provided that each divisionalapplication shall not include any matter which was not disclosed in theinitial application as filed.
(2) The Registrar shall accord each divisional application the same
filing date and, where applicable, the same priority date, as the initialapplication.
(3) The Registrar may require an applicant to divide the applications
where the terms of section 14 (1) have not been complied with.
16.(1) Where two or more persons make a joint application for a
patent, the applicants shall, in the absence of an agreement to the contrary,have equal undivided shares in the application and no one applicantshall deal with the application in any way without the consent of theother applicant or applicants.
(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1), if any steps are required to
be taken to save the application from being abandoned, any applicantmay, on his or her own behalf as well as on behalf of any other jointapplicant, take such steps without recourse to the other applicant orapplicants.
17.(1) An application for a patent made under this Part may contain a
declaration, in writing, claiming priority, as provided for in Article 4 ofthe Paris Convention, of one or more earlier national, regional orinternational applications filed by the applicant or his or her predecessorin title in any convention country or any member of the World TradeOrganization.
(2) Where a declaration of priority is made under subsection (1) the
applicant shall, within such time as may be prescribed, furnish the Registrarwith a copy of the application earlier filed which copy shall be certified ascorrect by the patent office with which it was so earlier filed.
(3) Where the earlier application referred to in subsection (2) is not in
the English language and the Registrar deems that the validity of the priorityclaim is relevant to determine whether the invention concerned ispatentable, the applicant shall submit an English translation of such earlierapplication within two months from the date of being notified to thateffect by the Registrar.
(4) Where an applicant does not satisfy the requirements of subsections
(2) and (3) and any regulations pertaining thereto, the declaration shall beconsidered as h aving not been made.
(5) The effect of the declaration referred to in subsection (1) shall be as
provided for in Article 4B of the Paris Convention.
(6) The applicant may, in such form as may be prescribed, request the
correction or addition of a priority claim, provided the filing date of theapplication before the Office is not later than the date of the expiration ofthe priority period calculated from the filing date of the earliest applicationwhose priority is claimed.Division of
application
Joint
applicants
Right of
priority
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(7)Where an application that claims or could have claimed the
priority of an earlier application has a filing date that is later than the
date on which the priority period expired, the Registrar shall, withintwo months from that date, upon request being filed as prescribed, restorethe right of priority if the request states the reasons for the failure tocomply with the priority period.
(8) The Registrar shall restore the right of priority where he or she
finds out that the failure to file the subsequent application within thepriority period occurred in spite of due care required by the circumstanceshaving been taken.
(9) Where a copy of an earlier application required under subsection (2)
is not filed within the prescribed time limit by an applicant, the Registrarmay, upon a request being filed by the applicant as prescribed, restore theright of priority if that request is filed within the time limit for filing suchcopy, provided that —
(a)the Registrar is satisfied that a request to obtain the copy was filedwith the Office that received the earlier application not later than 14months from the date of filing of that earlier application; and
(b)a copy of the earlier application is filed with the Registrar withinone month from having been obtained from the said Office.
(10) Any request under this section shall be subject to payment of the
prescribed fees by the applicant.
18.(1) At any time before the grant or refusal of a patent, an applicant
for a patent may, upon payment of the prescribed fee convert his or herapplication for a patent into an application for a utility model certificate.
(2) No person may convert an application under subsection (1) more
than once.
19.(1) An applicant shall indicate in the application for a patent the
date and the number of other applications filed by him or her or his orher predecessor in title outside Botswana relating to the same oressentially the same invention as that claimed in the application filed inBotswana.
(2) The applicant shall, when requested by the Registrar, furnish the
following documents relating to any of the applications referred to insubsection (1) —
(a)a copy of any communication received by the applicant concerningthe results of any search or examination carried out in respect ofsuch application;
(b)a copy of the patent or other title of protection granted in respectof such application;
(c)a copy of the final decision rejecting the application or refusingthe grant requested in respect of the application; and
(d)a copy of the final decision revoking or invalidating the patent orother title of protection granted in respect of such application.Conversion of
patentapplicationintoapplicationfor utilitymodelcertificate
Information
concerningcorrespondingforeignapplicationsfor patents
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20.(1) The filing date of an application for a patent shall be the date on
which the application is received by the Office if on the date of its receipt,
the application contains —
(a)an express or implicit indication that the grant of a patent is sought;
(b)information which will enable the Registrar to establish the identityof the applicant and to contact him or her;
(c)a part which, on the face of it, appe ars to be a description of the
invention; and
(d)a part which, on the face of it appears to be a claim of the invention.
(2) For the purposes of establishing the filing date, information mentioned
in 1 (a) may be filed in English or Setswana, provided that where the
information is filed in Setswana, a translation into English shall be suppliedby the applicant upon request by the Registrar.
(3) Where the application does not comply with the requirements of
subsection (1), the Registrar shall, in writing, request the applicant to supplythe missing information, and the filing date shall be the date on which themissing information is received by the Office.
(4) If an applicant fails to comply with any request made by the
Registrar under subsection (2), the application shall be treated as thoughit had never been filed.
(5) Where a part of the description of the invention appears to be
missing from an application for a patent, or the application makes reference
to drawings which are not included in the application, the Registrar shallrequest the applicant to furnish the missing part or drawings within suchtime as may be prescribed, and the filing date of the application shall bethe date on which such part or drawings are received by the Office.
(6) If the applicant fails to comply with any request made by the
Registrar under subsection (5), the Registrar shall accord to theapplication the date on which the application was received by him orher, as the filing date, and shall treat any reference to such part ordrawings as being non-existent.
(7) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (6) and subject to
the prescribed requirements, a reference, made in the application to apreviously filed application shall, for the purposes of establishing thefiling date of the application, replace the description and any drawings.
21.(1) Upon the expiry of 18 months, counted from the date of filing
the application for a patent with the Registrar or, where relevant, fromthe applicable priority date, the Registrar shall, in the prescribed mannerand subject to payment of the prescribed fee by the applicant, publishthe application in the Journal and thereafter the application shall be openfor public inspection.
(2) The applicant may request, in writing, for the application to be
published before the expiry of the period under subsection (1) and subjectto compliance with the requirements for publication, the Registrar shallpublish the application as requested.Filing date of
application forpatent
Publication,
observationsand opposition
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       - 16 -A.31
(3) The applicant shall be entitled to claim compensation from any person
who, after the publication of the application and before the grant of the
patent, performs without authorisation from the applicant in respect of theclaimed invention any act that would be regarded as an infringement of apatent granted on the invention.
(4) An applicant may claim compensation referred to in subsection (3)
where the applicant gives notice to the person concerned and the claimdeals with only those acts covered by the patent as published.
(5) Any interested person may, within the prescribed period and in the
prescribed manner, submit to the Registrar, an observation or objectionagainst the application for a patent on grounds that —
(a)the claimed subject matter does not constitute an invention in termsof section 2, or is excluded from patentability under section 9;
(b)the requirements of sections 8, 12 (1), 12 (4), 12 (5), 12 (7) or 14
have not been satisfied; or
(c)sections 13 (3) and 15 (1), where applicable, have not been compliedwith.
(6) The person submitting an observation or objection under subsection
(5) shall state the reasons for his or her observation or objection, andattach any documents or other evidence in support of the observation orobjection.
(7) The person submitting an observation or objection under subsection
(5) shall not become a party to any proceedings under this Act by reasononly that he or she submitted an observation or objection under this section.
(8) Where an observation or objection is submitted, the Registrar shall
send a copy to the applicant who may, within the prescribed period and inthe prescribed manner, send to the Registrar his or her counter-statement.
(9) If the applicant sends a counter-statement, the Registrar shall
provide a copy to the person who submitted the observation or objectionand the Registrar may, at his or her discretion, hear the parties if either orboth wish to be heard.
(10) The Registrar shall consider the observation or objection made
under subsection (5) before deciding on the application for a patent.
(11) An interested person referred to in subsection (5) may apply to
the High Court, within the prescribed period and in the prescribed manner,on grounds that he or she has been aggrieved by the decision of theRegistrar under subsection (10) and in such a case the Registrar shallsuspend the patent application proceedings pending a decision on the matterby the Court.
22.(1) The Registrar shall cause the application to be examined for
compliance with the requirements of the Act.
(2) The Minister may, by regulations, prescribe the categories of
inventions in respect of which an examination under this section shallnot cover the requirements of novelty and inventive step.
Examination
ofapplications
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(3) An examination under this section may be undertaken by persons
or institutions appointed by the Registrar, including any designated
foreign, national or regional industrial property authorities.
23.(1) Where the Registrar is satisfied that the requirements of
section 22 have been fulfilled, he or she shall grant the applicant a patent.
(2) Where there is any requirement or observation that is missing
from the application, the Registrar shall notify the applicant, invitinghim or her to comply with any missing requirement or submit anyobservation within the prescribed time limit and where the applicantfails to provide or submit any missing requirement or observation withinthe prescribed time limit, the Registrar may refuse the application andnotify the applicant of that decision.
(3) Where the Registrar grants a patent, he or she shall —
(a)issue a certificate of the grant of the patent and a copy of the patentto the applicant;
(b)record the patent in the patent register; and
(c)publish, in the Journal, a reference to the grant of the patent.
(4) The Registrar shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, make a copy
of any patent granted in terms of this section available to any person whorequests such copy.
(5) The Registrar shall, upon request by the patentee, make changes
in the text or drawings of the patent in order to limit the extent of theprotection conferred by the patent.
24.(1) The patent confers on the patentee the right to prevent third
parties not having such patentee’s consent from exploiting the patent inBotswana.
(2) For the purposes of this section, exploitation of a patent means —(a)where the patent has been granted in respect of a product —
(i) making, offering for sale, selling or using the product, or
(ii) importing  the  product  for  the purposes of offering it for sale,
selling or using it; and
(b)where the patent has been granted in respect of a process —
(i) using the process, and
(ii) doing any act referred to in paragraph (a) in respect of a product
obtained directly by means of the process.
25.(1) The rights conferred by a patent shall not extend to —
(a)acts in respect of articles which have been put on the market in
Botswana or abroad by the patentee or by another person acting with the
patentee’s consent, or having an economic tie to the patentee;
(b)the use of articles on aircraft, land vehicles or vessels of othercountries which temporarily or accidentally enter the airspace,territory or waters of Botswana;
(c)acts done only for experimental purposes relating to the subject-matter of the patented invention;Grant of
patent
Rights
conferred bypatent
Exceptions to
rights conferredby patent
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       - 18 -A.33
(d)use by a farmer in the harvest of a farm produce for propagation
or mul tiplication by the farmer on the farmer’s holding, where
there has been a sale of plant propagating material to the farmerby the patentee or with the patentee’s consent for agricultural use;
(e)use of an animal or animal reproductive material by a farmer foran  agricultural  purpose  following  a  sale  to  the farmer, by thepatentee or with the patentee’s consent, of breeding stock or otheranimal  reproductive  material  which  constitutes  or  contains thepatented invention;
(f)an  act  done  in  respect of the patented invention for purposes of compliancewith  regulatory  marketing  approval procedures for pharmace utical,
veterinary, agrochemical or other products subjected to such procedures;
(g)the extemporaneous preparation in a pharmacy of a medicine foran individual in accordance with a prescription given by a medicalor dental practitioner, and the use of a medicine so prepared;
(h)acts performed by any person who in good faith, before the filingdate or, where priority is claimed, the priority date of the
application on which the patent is granted and in Botswana, wasusing the invention or was making effective and serious preparationsfor such use;
(i)acts done solely for academic, scientific research, educational or teaching
purposes; or
(j)acts done for private non-commercial purposes.
(2) An economic tie referred to in subsection 1 (a), exists where one
person may exercise, directly or indirectly, on the other a decisiveinfluence with respect to the exploitation of the invention, or where athird party may exercise such an influence on both persons.
(3) The right of prior user referred to in subsection 1 (h) may be
transferred or may devolve only together with the enterprise or business,or with that part of the enterprise or business, in which the use ofpreparations for use have been made.
26.The right to a patent may be transferred by cession, assignment,
testamentary disposition or by operation of patent  law.
27.(1) The patentee shall, in addition to any other rights, remedies
or actions available to him or her, have the right to institute courtproceedings against any person who infringes the patent by performing,without such patentee’s consent or authorization, any of the acts referredto in section 24 (2), or who performs any act which makes it likely thatinfringement will occur.
(2) The patentee in proceedings for infringement shall be entitled to
relief by way of the following —
(a)an interdict or injunction;
(b)delivery up or destruction of any infringing product, article or productof which the infringing product forms an inseparable part;
(c)damages; or
(d)an account of the profits derived from the infringement.
Transfer of
rights to
patent
Proceedings
forinfringementof patent
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       - 19 -A.34
(3) In any proceedings for infringement, the defendant may counter-
claim for the invalidation of the patent and, by way of defence, rely upon
any ground on which a patent may be invalidated.
(4) The patentee, before instituting proceedings, shall give notice to every
licencee to the patent in question whose name is recorded in the patentregister, and any such licencee shall be entitled to intervene as co-plaintiff.
(5) In any proceedings for infringement, other than criminal proceedings,
where the subject matter of the patent is a process for obtaining a product,the burden of establishing that the product was not made by the processshall rest on the defendant if the product obtained by the patented process isnew in terms of section 8 (3).
(6) In requiring the production of evidence in proceedings for
infringement, the court shall take into account the legitimate interests of thedefendant in not disclosing his or her manufacturing secrets.
(7) The court shall, in awarding damages, calculate such damages taking
into account the amount of a reasonable royalty which would have beenpayable by a licencee or sub-licencee in respect of the patent concerned.
(8) The court shall not, in awarding damages under this section, also
order, in respect of the same infringement, that the plaintiff be given anaccount of the profits derived by him or her from the infringement.
28.(1) Subject to subsection (2), a patent shall expire 20 years after the
filing date.
(2) In order to maintain a patent or patent application, the patentee or the
applicant shall pay in advance to the Registrar for each year starting oneyear after the filing date of the application for the grant of the patent, suchannual maintenance fee as may be prescribed.
(3) A patent shall lapse or a patent application shall be deemed to have been
withdrawn if the owner fails to pay the prescribed fees under subsection (2).
(4) Where the patentee or the applicant is late in paying the annual
maintenance fee, the Registrar shall, upon the payment of a surchargethat may be prescribed, give the patentee or applicant a grace period ofsix months, within which to pay the late annual maintenance fee.
29.A patent in respect of which Botswana is a designated State, granted
by ARIPO by virtue of the HARARE Protocol,  shall have the same effect
and enjoy the same protection in Botswana as a patent granted under thisAct unless the Registrar communicates, to ARIPO, in respect of theapplication therefor, a decision, in accordance with the provisions of theProtocol, that if a patent is granted by ARIPO, that patent shall have noeffect in Botswana.
30.(1) Where a patent is granted to two or more patentees jointly, the
joint patentees shall, in the absence of an agreement to the contrary, beentitled to an equal undivided share in the patent.Duration and
maintenance ofpatent
HARARE
ProtocolPatents
Joint
patentees
IP/N/1/BWA/I/3 
       - 20 -A.35
(2) A joint patent shall be exercised subject to the following provisions —
(a)each joint patentee is entitled to exploit commercially the patent to
his or her benefit, but shall be required to pay equitable compensation,fixed by the Court in case of a disagreement, to the other joint patenteewho is not directly exploiting the patent or has not granted a licencefor exploitation in accordance with paragraph ( b);
(b)a joint patentee may grant a non-exclusive licence to exploit the
patent, but shall be required to pay equitable compensation fixed bythe Court in case of a disagreement to the other joint patentee who isnot directly exploiting the patent or has not granted the licence forexploitation; the other joint patentee may oppose the grant of suchlicence provided he or she acquires the share of the joint patentee
wishing to grant the licen ce and on condition that the price of that
share shall be fixed by the Court in case of disagreement;
(c)an exclusive licence or sole licence to exploit the patent may only begranted by agreement among the joint patentees; and
(d)a joint patentee may assign his or her share in  the  patent, providedthat the patentee notifies the other joint patentee of his or her
intention and such other joint patentee shall have a right of firstrefusal to acquire a share during a period of three months computedfrom the receipt of that notification.
(3) A joint patentee may institute proceedings for infringement on
his or her rights on the patent after giving prior notice to the other joint patentee,and the other joint patentee may join the proceedings as a co-plaintiff andrecover any damages in respect of any loss suffered as a result of theinfringement.
(4) If, in any proceedings under subsection (3), a joint patentee does
not join the proceedings as a co-plaintiff, damages, if any, shall beawarded to the plaintiff as if he or she were the sole patentee, and thedefendant shall not compensate the other patentee in respect of the sameinfringement.
31.(1) The Minister may, without the consent or authority of the
patentee and after giving a hearing to the patentee and any other interestedparty, authorise a Government agency, other person or body to exploitthe patented invention on the payment of adequate remuneration to thepatentee where —
(a)it is in the public interest to do so for purposes of national security,
nutrition, health, development of other vital sectors of the nationaleconomy, social service; or
(b)a court or administrative body has determined that the manner ofexploitation of the invention by the patentee is anti-competitiveor constitutes an abuse of the patent.
(2) In the determination of adequate remuneration under subsection
(1), the Minister shall take into account the economic value of theexploitation of the patented invention and the need for the eliminationof anti-competitive practices.
Compulsory
licences in thepublic interestor forcompetition
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       - 21 -A.36
(3) The exploitation of the patented invention under subsection (1)
shall be for the supply of the domestic market in Botswana only, except
where paragraph 1 or 3 of Article 31 bis of the TRIPS Agreement applies.
(4) Upon request by the patentee, a Government agency, other person
or body authorised to exploit a patented invention under subsection (1),the Minister may, after hearing the parties, vary the terms of the decisionauthorising the exploitation of the patented invention as circumstancesmay justify.
(5) The Minister may revoke a decision made under subsection (1)
where, after hearing all the parties he or she is satisfied that thecircumstances which led to his or her decision have ceased to exist andare not likely to recur, or that the agency, person or body has failed tocomply with the terms of the decision.
(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (5), the Minister shall
not terminate the authorisation to exploit the patent if he or she is satisfiedthat public interest as referred to in subsection (1) justifies the maintenanceof his or her decision.
(7) Where a third party has been designated by the Minister to exploit
a patent under this section, such exploitation may be transferred only withinthe enterprise or business within which the patented invention is beingexploited.
(8) The authorisation to exploit a patent under this section shall not
exclude —
(a)the right by the patentee to grant a licence to another person to exploitthe patent; or
(b)the continued exercise, by the patentee, of his or her rights undersection 24 (2).
(9)A  request to the Minister under subsection (4) by an agency, other
person or body for an authorisation to exploit a patent under this sectionshall be accompanied by evidence that the patentee has received, from theperson seeking the authorisation, a request for a contractual licence, andthat such person has been unable, within a reasonable time, to obtain thelicence on reasonable commercial terms and conditions.
(10) Subsection (9) shall not apply in cases of national emergency or
other circumstances of extreme urgency, nor in the cases mentioned insubsection (1) ( a).
(11) Where a competition authority has determined that the manner of
exploitation of a patent in the field of semi-conductor technology is anti-competitive, the Minister shall authorise the issuance of a compulsory licenceif he or she is satisfied that the issuance of a compulsory licence wouldremedy such practice.
(12) Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the Minister under
this section may appeal to the High Court against that decision.
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       - 22 -A.37
32.(1) Subject to section 31, the Minister may issue a licence to a
Government agency or any authorised person for the importation of patented
products such as generic pharmaceutical products from any legitimatealternative foreign source without the approval of the patentee where —
(a)it is in the public interest to do so for purposes of national security,nutrition, health, development of other vital sectors of the nationaleconomy, social service; or
(b)the market for the patented product is not being supplied in sufficientquantities or on reasonable terms in relation to market demand.
(2)The importation of the patented product by a Government agency
or any authorised person shall be solely for public non-commercial usewithin Botswana, except where paragraph 1 or 3 of Article 31 bis of the
TRIPS Agreement is applicable.
(3) A licence issued under subsection (1) shall include the name of
the pharmaceutical product and an estimate of the quantities of thepharmaceutical product to be imported during the term of the licence:Provided that the estimate shall not limit the quantity of thepharmaceutical product required to address the public health problemthat the importation seeks to address.
(4) Where in respect of the pharmaceutical product referred to in
subsection (1) a compulsory licence has been granted in the exportingcountry under the system set out in Article 31 bis of the TRIPS Agreement
and the Annex thereto, and remuneration for the licence has been paidaccordingly in the exporting country, the obligation to pay remunerationfor the compulsory licence to import that product into Botswana shallnot apply.
33.(1) At any time after the expiration of three years from the date
of the grant of a patent or four years from the filing date of the application,whichever occurs later, any person may apply to the High Court for anorder to be granted a licence under the patent on the grounds that amarket for the patent is not being supplied, or is not being supplied onreasonable terms, in Botswana.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) an order to issue
a compulsory licence shall not be granted if the patentee satisfies theHigh Court that circumstances exist which justify the non-exploitationor insufficient exploitation of the patent.
(3) Where the High Court grants an order for the issue of a compulsory
licence under this section, it shall —
(a)set out the scope and function of the licence;
(b)fix the time limit for the exploitation of the patent; and
(c)set out the conditions and amount of remuneration to be paid tothe patentee.
(4) A request for the issue of a compulsory licence shall be made in
the prescribed form subject to payment of the prescribed fees.Importation of
patentedproducts byGovernmentor third party
Compulsory
licences forfailure toexploit patent
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       - 23 -A.38
34.(1) If the exploitation of a patent (in this section referred to as
“the later patent”) is dependent upon the obtaining of a licence under an
earlier patent, the patentee in respect of the later patent may apply to theHigh Court for an order to be issued a licence to exploit the earlierpatent, and the order may be granted on such conditions as may beimposed, including a condition that such licence may be used only forthe purpose of permitting the later patent to be exploited.
(2) The Court shall not grant an order under this section unless the
invention claimed in the later patent involves an important technicaladvance of considerable economic importance in relation to the inventionclaimed in the earlier patent.
(3) Where a holder of a plant variety right cannot exploit his or her
right without infringing a prior patent, the holder may apply for acompulsory licence for the non-exclusive use of that patent, to the extentnecessary to allow the exploitation of the plant variety right.(4) Where a patentee of a biotechnological invention cannot exploitthe patent without infringing a prior plant variety right, the patenteemay apply for a compulsory licence for the non-exclusive use of theplant variety right, to the extent necessary to allow the exploitation ofsuch patent. (5) The High Court may, on an application made to it by the patentee
in respect of an earlier patent or plant breeder’s right, as the case maybe, grant an order for the issue of a licence to use the invention claimedin the later patent or plant breeder’s right.
(6) A licence granted under this section shall not be transferable except
in conjunction with the transfer of the licence in respect of the laterpatent.
(7) The provisions of section 31 (1) regarding the remuneration due
to the owner of the patent shall apply to licences issued under this section.
35.Any contract relating to a licence to exploit a patent shall terminate
on the date on which the patent under which the licence was grantedexpires, is revoked or otherwise ceases to protect such invention.
36.(1) The Registrar or the High Court may, on the application of
any interested party, invalidate a patent if it is found  —
(a)that the patent is not an invention within the meaning of the termas defined under this Act;
(b)that the patentee is not a person entitled, u nder section 10, to
apply for a patent;
(c)that the patent concerned is not patentable under section 8;
(d)that the invention is a matter which should have been excludedfrom patent protection;
(e)that the patentee’s application did not satisfy the requirements ofsection 12 (4), (5), (7) and (8) and corresponding regulations, orthat the conditions under section 13 (3) or 15 (1), where applicable,were not complied with.Licences in
respect ofdependentpatents
Invalidation
of patentsTermination
of contracts
relating tolicences
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       - 24 -A.39
(f)that  the  patentee  failed  to  inform  the  Registrar  about  any
corresponding foreign application filed or furnished informationwhich in any material particular was false; or
(g)that the patent was obtained on a misrepresentation.
(2) A claim arising from an invalidated patent shall be regarded as
null and void from the date of the grant of the patent.
(3) Where an application for the invalidation of a patent is made to
the High Court, it shall be served on the patentee and lodged with theCourt in the manner and within the time prescribed.
(4) Where subsection (3) applies, the Master shall notify the Registrar
of any decision of the Court invalidating the patent and the Registrarshall, within such time and such manner as may be prescribed, publishthe invalidation reference in the Journal.
PART III –  International Application Under the Patent
Cooperation Treaty
37.Subject to the provisions of this Part, an international application
designating Botswana  shall be treated as an application for a patent filed
under this Act and shall have as its filing date the international filingdate accorded under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
38.The Office shall be —
(a)the receiving office in respect of an international application
lodged at it by a person who is a resident or citizen of Botswana;
(b)the designated office in respect of an international application
designating Botswana; and
(c)the elected office, if an applicant in an international applicationdesignating Botswana elects Botswana for p urposes of an
international preliminary examination under Chapter II of thePatent Cooperation Treaty.
39.The Office shall not commence the processing of an international
application before the expiration of the time limit referred to in section40, except where the applicant has filed an express request for earlycommencement of the processing.
40.(1) The applicant in respect of an international application
designating Botswana shall, before the expiration of 30 months fromthe date of filing an international application —
(a)pay the prescribed fee to the Office; and
(b)if the international app lication was not filed in English, or has
not been published under the Patent Cooperation Treaty as a translation
into English, file with the Office a translation of the international
application, containing the prescribed contents in English.National
processingOffice as
receiving,designatedand electedoffice
Entering
national phaseEffect of
internationalapplicationdesignatingBotswana
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       - 25 -A.40
(2) If the applicant does not comply with subsection (1), the international
application shall be considered to be withdrawn.
(3) The Registrar may, on an application made before or after expiry of
30 months from the date of filing of an international application, extend
the time limit for a further period not exceeding three months.
41.(1) In processing an international application, the Office shall
apply the provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Regulations
and administrative instructions issued under that Treaty, and the
provisions of this Act and its regulations.
(2) When processing an international application, the Patent
Cooperation Treaty, its Regulations and the administrative instructionsissued under it shall, in the event of any conflict, prevail over this Actand its regulations.
PART IV – Utility Model Certificates
42.The provisions of Part II and III, except section 22 (2), shall with
necessary modifications apply to utility model certificates and
applications.
43.A utility model certificate shall expire seven years after the filing
date of the application.
44.(1) At any time before the grant or refusal of a utility model
certificate, an applicant may, upon payment of the  prescribed fee, convert
his or her application for a utility model certificate into an applicationfor a patent, and the latter application shall be accorded the filing dateof the initial application.
(2) No person may convert an application under subsection (1) more
than once.
PART V – Industrial Designs
45.(1) An industrial design (hereinafter referred to as “a design”)
shall be capable of being registered if it is new.
(2) A design shall be deemed to be new if it has not been disclosed to
the public anywhere in the world by publication in a tangible form, orby use or in any other way, prior to the filing date or, where applicable,the priority date of the application for registration of such design.
(3) Disclosure of information claimed in an application for registration
of a design which would otherwise affect the registrability of a designshall not affect the registrability of that design where the informationwas disclosed as provided in section 8 (6).
(4) A design which is contrary to public order or morality shall not
be registered.
(5) A design shall not be registered where it consists entirely of
features dictated solely by functional or technical considerations;however, the degree of freedom of the designer in developing his or herdesign shall be taken into consideration.Processing of
internationalapplications
Applicability of
provisionsrelating topatents
Duration of
utility modelcertificate
Conversion of
application forutility modelcertificate intoapplication forpatent
Registrable
industrialdesign
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       - 26 -A.41
46.(1) An application for the registration of a design shall be made to
the Registrar in the prescribed manner and shall  be accompanied by —
(a)a request, in writing, for the registration of the design;
(b)drawings, photographs or other graphic representations of the
article embodying the design;
(c)a statement, in writing, indicating the kind of products for whichthe design is to be used; and
(d)such application fee as may be prescribed.
(2) Where the design is two dimensional, the application may be
accompanied by a specimen of the article embodying the design.
(3) An applicant for the registration of a design who is not the creator
of the design shall furnish to the Registrar, in writing, such proof of hisor her title or authority to apply for registration as may be prescribed.
(4) An application for the registration of a design under this section
may be in respect of two or more designs, provided that the designsrelate to the same class of International Classification or to the same setor composition of articles.
(5) An application for the registration of a design may, at the time of
filing, contain a request that the publication of the design, uponregistration, be deferred for a period not exceeding twelve months fromthe date of filing or, if priority is claimed, from the date of priority, ofthe application.
(6) The applicant may, at any time before the registration of a design,
withdraw his or her application.
47.The provisions of section 17 shall apply in relation to a design.
48.(1) The filing date of an application for the registration of a design
shall be the date on which the application is received by the Office if at
the time of receipt, the application contains information allowing the
identity of the applicant to be established and the required graphicrepresentation of the article embodying the design.
(2) Where the application does not comply with the requirements of
subsection (1), the Registrar shall, in writing, request the applicant tosupply the information or representation missing in the application, and
shall accord as the filing date, the date on which the missing elements
are filed.
(3) If an applicant fails to comply with a request made by the Registrar
under subsection (2), the application shall be treated as though it hadnever been filed.
49.The Registrar shall cause the application to be examined to
determine whether —
(a)it  complies  with the requirements of section 46 (1) and (3) andthe regulations pertaining thereto;
(b)it complies with the definition of an industrial design under this Act;
(c)it complies with the appropriate regulations made in pursuanceof this Part;
(d)the design is not contrary to public order or morality; and
(e)multiple  designs  submitted  under  a  single  application are  in
accordance with section 46 (4).Application
forregistration ofdesign
Right of priority
Examination
of applicationFiling date of
application
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       - 27 -A.42
50.(1) Where, following the examination referred to in section 49,
the Registrar is satisfied that the requirements of this Act have been
fulfilled, he or she shall register the design.
(2) Where the Registrar registers a design, he or she shall, within
such time as may be prescribed —
(a)issue, to the applicant, a certificate of registration of the design;
(b)record such registration in the register; and
(c)publish, in the Journal, a reference to the registration of the design.
(3)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2), where a request
has been made under section 46 (5) for deferment of publication, therepresentation of the design or any file relating to the application shallnot, upon registration of the design, be open for public inspection; andin this case, the Registrar shall publish, in the Journal, a mention of thedeferment of the publication of the industrial design and informationidentifying the registered owner of the design, and indicating the filingdate of the application, the length of the period for which deferment hasbeen requested, and such other particulars as may be prescribed.
(4) At the expiry of the period of deferment, the Registrar shall
publish, in the Journal, the registered design.
(5) The institution of legal proceedings on the basis of a registered
design during the period of deferment of publication shall be subject tothe condition that the information contained in the register and in thefile relating to the application has been communicated to the personagainst whom the action is brought.(6) An application which, owing to any default or neglect on the part ofthe applicant, has not been completed within the prescribed period shallbe deemed to have been abandoned.
51.(1) The right to a design shall belong to the owner of the design.
(2) If two or more persons have made a design jointly, the right to
the design shall belong to them jointly.
(3) Where two or more persons have made the same design but
independently of each other, the person whose application bears theearliest filing date, or, if priority is claimed, the person whose applicationbears the earliest validly claimed priority date shall, unless thatapplication is abandoned, withdrawn or rejected by the Registrar, havethe right to the design.
(4) Where a design is made in execution of a contract of employment,
the right to the design shall, in the absence of any agreement to thecontrary, belong to the employer.
(5) The owner of a design shall be named as such in the design, unless,
in a special declaration in writing signed by him or her and addressed tothe Registrar, he or she indicates that he or she wishes not to be named,and any promise or undertaking by the owner of the design made to anyperson to the effect that he or she will make such a declaration shall bewithout legal effect.Registration
of design
Right to
industrialdesign
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52.The right to a design may be transferred by cession, assignment,
testamentary disposition or by operation of law.
53.(1) The registration of a design confers on its registered owner
the right to prevent third parties not having the owner’s consent from
exploiting the design in Botswana, and in particular, from making,importing or selling any article bearing or embodying the registereddesign or a design not substantially different from the registered design.
(2) For the purposes of this section, exploitation of a registered design
means the doing of any act specified in subsection (1).
54.(1) The exclusive rights conferred by registration of a design
shall not extend to the acts specified in section 25 (1), paragraphs (a),
(b), (c), (i)  and (j) .
(2) The exclusive rights in a registered design shall not extend to the
parts or features of the design that are dictated solely by functional ortechnical considerations however in the determination, the degree offreedom of the designer in developing the design, shall be taken intoconsideration.
(3) The exclusive rights in a registered design shall not extend to
features of appearance of a product which must necessarily be reproducedin the exact form and dimensions in order to permit the product in whichthe design is embodied, or to which it is applied, to be mechanicallyconnected to or placed in, around or against another product so thateach product may perform its function.
(4) The exclusive rights in a registered design shall not extend to
features of appearance of a product which must necessarily be reproducedin the exact form and dimensions in order to match the overall aspectand appearance of the product in which the design is embodied or towhich it is applied.
(5) The rights of an owner of a registered design shall not extend to
acts in respect of which articles have been put on the market in Botswanaor abroad by the owner, or with his or her consent.
55.(1) An owner of a registered design shall, in addition to any other
rights, remedies or actions available to him or her have the right to institutecourt proceedings against any person performing, without the owner’sconsent or authorisation, any of the acts referred to in section 53, or whoperforms acts which make it likely that infringement will occur.
(2) In any proceedings under this section, the court may grant relief
by way of damages, interdict, delivery up or destruction of any infringingproduct, article or product of which the infringing product forms aninseparable part, or account of profits derived from the infringement orotherwise as it may consider necessary.
(3) The court shall not, in awarding damages under this section, also
order, in respect of the same infringement, that the plaintiff be given anaccount of the profits derived by him or her from the infringement.Exceptions to
rightsconferred byregistrationRights
conferred by
registrationTransfer of
right to design
Proceedings
forinfringementof industrialdesign
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       - 29 -A.44
(4) In any proceedings under this section, the court shall have
jurisdiction to order the revocation of the registration of a design on any
of the grounds specified in section 59, and any such grounds may berelied upon by way of defence.
56.(1) The registration in respect of a design shall expire five years
after the filing date of the application for its registration, but may, uponpayment of such renewal fee as may be prescribed, be renewed for twofurther consecutive periods of five years each.
(2) Where the owner of the design is late in paying the renewal fee,
the Registrar shall, upon payment by the owner of a surcharge that maybe prescribed, give a grace period of six months within which the ownermust pay the late renewal fee.
57.An industrial design in respect of which Botswana is a designated
State, registered by ARIPO under the  HARARE Protocol, shall have
the same effect in Botswana as an industrial design registered underthis Act unless the Registrar communicates, to ARIPO, in respect of theregistered design, a decision, in accordance with the provisions of theProtocol, that an industrial design registered by ARIPO, shall have noeffect in Botswana.
58.(1) Subject to the provisions of section 46 (5), the representations,
specimens and drawings of a registered design, including all documentslodged in relation thereto shall, upon payment of such fees as may beprescribed, be open to inspection by any person on and after the day onwhich the certificate of registration is issued, however the right ofinspection shall not include the right to make a copy of any suchrepresentation, drawing or document by mechanical means.
(2) Any person may, upon payment of such fees as may be prescribed,
obtain, from the Registrar, a copy of the representations, drawings ordocuments.
(3) Where an application for the registration of a design has been
abandoned or refused, the representations, drawings or other documentsshall not, at any time, be open for inspection, but shall, after the expirationof 12 months from the date of application for registration, be returnedto the applicant if he or she requests that they be so returned.
59.(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Registrar or the
High Court may, on the application of any interested person, invalidatethe registration of a design, either wholly or in part, in respect of anyparticular article in connection with which the design is registered onany of the following grounds —
(a)that the design was not new;
(b)that the applicant for registration was not the owner;
(c)that the application was made with the intention of defraudingthe owner of the design; or
(d)that any grounds on which the Registrar could have refused toregister the design has come to light.Duration and
renewal ofregistereddesign
HARARE
ProtocolDesigns
Inspection of
registereddesign
Invalidation of
registration ofdesign
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       - 30 -A.45
(2) Where an application for the invalidation of a design is made to
the High Court, it shall be served on the person in whose name the
design is registered and lodged with the Court in the manner and withinthe time prescribed.
(3) Where subsection (2) applies, the Master shall notify the Registrar
of any decision of the Court to invalidate a design and the Registrarshall, within such time as may be prescribed, publish a reference theretoin the Journal.
PART VI – International Registration under the Hague Agreement
60.(1) Where the Registrar finds that a design that is the subject of
an international registration designating Botswana does not satisfy therequirements for protection under this Act, the Registrar shall notify,within 6 months, a refusal of protection to the International Bureau inaccordance with the relevant provisions of the 1999 Act and the CommonRegulations.
(2) Where a design is refused under subsection (1), the holder of the
international registration concerned shall enjoy the same remedies as ifthe design had been the subject of an application for registration fileddirectly in Botswana.
61.(1) An international registration of an industrial design that
contains a designation of Botswana shall have the same effects, as fromthe date of the international registration, as an application for registrationfiled with the Registrar in Botswana under this Act.
(2) If no refusal has been notified by the Registrar to the International
Bureau in terms of section 60, or if a refusal was notified but subsequentlywithdrawn, the international registration shall have the same effect, fromthe date of the international registration, as if the registration of theindustrial design has been granted directly by the Registrar in Botswanaunder this Act.
62.Where the effect of an international registration is invalidated in
Botswana, in part or in whole, and the invalidation is no longer subjectto appeal, the Registrar shall, to the extent that he or she is aware of thedecision of invalidation, notify the International Bureau in accordancewith the relevant provisions of the 1999 Act and the CommonRegulations.
63.Any recording made in the International Register in respect of
an international registration, and affecting Botswana as a designatedContracting Party, shall have the same effects as if it had been made inthe register of  industrial designs of Botswana.Examination
and refusal ofprotection,etc.
Effects of an
internationalregistration
Invalidation
ofinternationallyregistereddesign
Recordings in
theInternationalRegister
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PART VII – Layout designs of integrated circuits
64.(1) Protection under this Part may be obtained for layout designs
of integrated circuits to the extent that layout designs are original within
the meaning of section 65 (1).
(2) Registration may only be applied for if the layout design has not
been commercially exploited anywhere in the world and, where there hasbeen commercial exploitation, it has not been for more than two years.
65.(1) A layout design shall be considered to be original if it is the
result of the creator’s own intellectual effort.
(2) A layout design which, at the time of its creation, is common among
creators of layout designs and manufacturers of integrated circuits shallnot be considered original except where such a design consists of acombination of elements and interconnections that are common but thecombination when taken as a whole is original in terms of subsection (1).
66.(1) An application for the registration of a layout design shall be
made to the Registrar in writing and shall —
(a)indicate the name, address, nationality and habitual residence ofthe applicant;
(b)contain a copy or drawing of the layout design and information definingthe electronic function which the integrated circuit is intended to performand may omit such parts of the copy or drawing relating to confidentialinformation about the manufacture of the integrated circuit;
(c)indicate whether or not there has been exploitation, and where there hasbeen exploitation, specify the date of the first exploitation;
(d)where the applicant is to be represented, contain a copy of the power ofattorney appointing the representative; and
(e)where the person making the application is not the owner of the layoutdesign, furnish the Registrar with such proof of his or her title or authorityto apply for registration as may be prescribed.
(2) A separate application shall be made for each layout design.(3) The information supplied on the application together with any
drawings or copies of the layout design must sufficiently allow for theidentification of the layout design.
(4) An application for the registration of a layout design shall be
made subject to the payment of the prescribed fee.
67.(1) The Registrar shall accord, as the filing date of an application
for registration of a layout design, the date on which such application isreceived by the Office if at the time of its receipt, the application complieswith the requirements of section 66 (1) (a) and (b) .
(2) Where the application does not comply with the requirements of
subsection (1), the Registrar shall, in writing, request the applicant tosupply the information lacking in the application within two monthsand shall accord to the application, as the filing date, the date on whichthe further information was filed.Subject matter
of protectionfor layoutdesigns
Originality of
layout design
Application for
layout design
Filing date of
application forlayout design
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       - 32 -A.47
(3) If an applicant fails to comply with any request made by the
Registrar under subsection (2), his or her application shall be treated as
though it had never been filed.
68.(1) Where the application complies with the requirements  of
section 66, and the Registrar is satisfied that the requirements of thisAct have been fulfilled, the Registrar shall register the layout design.
(2) Where the Registrar registers a layout design, the Registrar shall,
within such time as may be prescribed —
(a)issue, to the applicant, a certificate of registration of the layout design;
(b)record the number, title, filing date and any other details pertainingto the layout design in the register; and
(c)publish, in the Journal, a reference to the registration of the layout design.
(3) An application which, owing to any default or neglect on the part
of the applicant, has not been completed for the registration to be effectedwithin the prescribed period shall be deemed to have been abandoned.
69.(1) The registration of a layout design confers on its registered
owner the right to prevent third parties who do not have the owner’sconsent from exploiting the layout design in Botswana, and in particular,from making, importing or selling any article bearing or embodying theregistered layout design or a layout design not substantially differentfrom the registered layout design.
(2) For the purposes of this section, exploitation of a registered
layout design means the doing of any act specified in subsection (1)including —
(a)repro ducing, whether by incorporation in an integrated circuit or
otherwise, a protected layout design in its entirety or any part thereof,except the act of reproducing any part that does not comply with therequirement of originality referred to in section 65; and
(b)importing, selling or otherwise distributing for commercial purposesa protected layout design or an integrated circuit in which a protectedlayout design is incorporated.
(3) If two or more persons have created a layout design jointly, the right
to that layout design shall belong to them jointly.
(4) The right to a layout design may be transferred by cession, assignment,
testamentary disposition or by operation of law.
(5) The provisions of section 11 shall apply to layout designs.
(6) Protection of a layout design shall not depend on whether or not
the integrated circuit which incorporates the protected layout design isitself incorporated in an article.
70.(1) The exclusive rights conferred by registration of a layout
design shall not extend to the acts specified in section 25 (1) (a), (b),
(c), (i)  and (j).
(2)Where a third party, on the basis of evaluation or analysis of the
protected layout design, creates a layout design that is original as
provided in section 65, that third party may incorporate such layoutdesign in an integrated circuit or perform any of the acts referred to in
subsection (1) in respect of that layout design without being regarded as
infringing the protected layout design.Registration
of layoutdesign
Rights
conferred byregistration
Exceptions to
rightsconferred byregistration
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       - 33 -A.48
(3) The holder of the right may not exercise his or her right in respect
of an identical original layout design that was independently created by
a third party.
(4) Any person who acquires an integrated circuit or article
incorporating an unlawfully reproduced layout design and does not knowand has no reasonable grounds to know when acquiring that integrateddesign or article that it incorporated an unlawfully reproduced layoutdesign shall, upon receiving sufficient notice that the layout design orarticle he or she has received was unlawfully reproduced, perform anyof the acts under section 69 (2) with respect to the stock on hand orordered before receiving such notice, but shall be liable to pay to theright holder compensation equivalent to a reasonable royalty payableunder a freely negotiated licence in respect of such a layout design.
71.(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Registrar or the
High Court may, on the application of any interested person, invalidatethe registration of a layout design on any of the following grounds —
(a)that the layout design is not original in terms of section 65;
(b)that the applicant for registration was not the owner;
(c)where the layout design has been  commercially exploited, that such
exploi tation occurred more than two years before the filing date
accorded to the layout design; or
(d)on any ground on which the Registrar could have refused to registerthe layout design.
(2) Where the grounds of invalidation are established only to a part
of the layout design, only that part shall be invalidated.
(3) An application for the invalidation of a layout design shall be
served on the person in whose name it is registered and, where applicable,lodged with the Court in the manner and within the time prescribed.
(4) Where a layout design is invalidated or transferred to its rightful
owner, the Registrar shall, within such time as may be prescribed, publisha reference thereto in the Journal and the invalidated layout design orany part thereof shall be null and void from the date of commencementof its protection.
72.A layout design for an integrated circuit shall be protected for 10
years from the date of filing of the application for registration or fromthe first commercial exploitation wherever it occurs in the world,provided that protection shall in all cases lapse 15 years after the creationof the layout design.
73.(1) Any person, other than the owner of a layout design, may
apply to the Minister to import any product covered by the integratedcircuit of a layout design where —
(a)the product covered by the integrated circuit of a layout design is
available in a quantity that is not sufficient to meet the local demand inBotswana, or is available at an unreasonable low quality, or at priceswhich the Minister deems abusive; or
(b)for any other reason of public interest.Invalidation of
registeredlayout design
Duration of
protection
Importation by
persons otherthan owner
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       - 34 -A.49
(2) The Minister may, after hearing the owner of the layout design
and any other interested person wishing to be heard, authorise the
importation of any product covered by the layout design.
(3) The authorisation to import any products covered by the layout
design shall be predominantly for the supply of the domestic market inBotswana.
(4) Upon the request of the owner of the layout design or of any
person authorised by the Minister to import the layout design, theMinister may, after hearing the parties, vary the terms of the decisionauthorising the importation of the layout design to the extent that thosechanged circumstances justify.
(5) Upon the request of the owner of the layout design, the Minister
shall revoke his or her decision if he or she is satisfied, after hearing theparties wishing to be heard, that the circumstances which led to theMinister’s decision have ceased to exist and are unlikely to recur, orthat the person authorised by the Minister has failed to comply with theterms of the authorisation.
(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (5), the Minister
shall not terminate the authorisation if he or she is satisfied that theneed for the adequate protection of the legitimate interest of the persondesignated by him or her justifies the maintenance of his or her decision.
(7) The authorisation to import products under a layout design shall
not exclude —
(a)the conclusion of licence contracts by the owner of the design; or
(b)the continued exercise, by the owner of the design, of his or herrights under section 69.
(8) An application for the Minister’s authorisation to import products
under a layout design shall be accompanied by evidence that the ownerof the layout design has received, from the person seeking thatauthorisation, a request for a contractual licence, but that person hasbeen unable, within a reasonable time, to obtain such a licence onreasonable commercial terms and conditions.
(9) Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Minister may appeal
to the High Court against that decision.
PART VIII –  Marks, Collective Marks and Trade Names
74.(1) The exclusive right to a mark under this Act shall be  acquired
by registration in accordance with the provisions under this Part.
(2) A mark shall not be registered if it is —
(a)incapable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterpriseor business from those of another enterprise or business;
(b)contrary to public order or morality;
(c)likely to mislead the public or trade circles, in particular as regardsthe geographical origin of the goods or services concerned, ortheir nature or characteristics;
Acquisition of
exclusiveright to mark
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       - 35 -A.50
(d)a  mark  that  consists  exclusively of a sign or indication which
may serve in trade to designate the kind, quality, quantity, intendedpurpose, value, geographical origin or the time of production ofthe goods or of rendering of the service, or other characteristicsof the goods or service;
(e)a mark that consists exclusively of a sign or indication which hasbecome customary in the current language or in the bona fideand established practices of the trade in respect of the goods orservices for which it is to be registered;
(f)a sign that consists exclusively of —
(i)the shape which results from the nature of the goods themselves,
(ii) the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical
result, or
(iii) the shape which gives substantial inherent value to the goods;
(g)identical to, or is an imitation of, or contains, as an element, anarmorial bearing, flag or other emblem, a name, abbreviation orinitials of, or official sign or hallmark adopted by, any State, inter-governmental  organization  or  organisation  created  by  an
international convention, unless the competent authority of that
State or organization has given authorisation for such bearing,
flag, emblem, name, abbre viation or initials, official sign or
hallmark to be used by an applicant for a registered mark;
(h)identical to, or confusingly similar to, or constitutes an imitation,a translation or  a transliteration of, a mark or trade name whichis  well  known  in  Botswana for  identical or  similar goods  or
services of another enterprise, or if it is well known in Botswana
for goods or services which are not identical or similar to thosein respect of which registration is applied for;
(i)identical to, confusingly similar to, or constitutes a translation ora transliteration of a geographical in dication used to designate or
distinguish the same goods for which the mark is to be used, or todesignate different goods where the use of that mark would posea risk of misleading the public as to the origin of the goods or services
designated by the mark; or
(j)identical to a mark belonging to a different owner of a registered markand already on the register, or with an earlier filing or priority date, inrespect of the same goods or services or closely related goods orservices, or if it so nearly resembles such a mark as to be likely todeceive or cause confusion.
(3) For purposes of subsection (2) (h) —
(a)the use of the mark in relation to  those goods or services shouldindicate  a  connection  between those goods or services and theowner of the well known mark;
(b)the  interests  of  the  owner of  the well known mark shall not beprejudiced by such use; and
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       - 36 -A.51
(c)whether that mark is well known in Botswana, due regard shall
be given to the knowledge of the mark in the relevant sector of the
public, including knowledge which has been attained as a result of thepromotion of the mark.
75.Where a mark has been registered in good faith, or where rights
in the mark have been acquired through use in good faith either before1st January, 2000, or before the geographical indication is protected inBotswana, nothing in this Act shall prevent the registration of such markor interfere with the use of such mark on the basis that the mark isidentical to, or similar to, a geographical indication.
76.(1) An application for the registration of a mark, accompanied
by such fee as may be prescribed, shall be made to the Registrar in theprescribed manner and shall contain the following —
(a)a request, in writing, that the mark be registered;
(b)one or more reproductions of the mark;
(c)a list of the goods or services for which registration of the markis requested, listed under the applicable class or classes of theInternational Classification; and
(d)other requirements as may be prescribed by regulations.
(2) The provisions of section 17 in respect of the right of priority
shall apply.
(3) The applicant may, at any time before his or her mark is registered,
withdraw his or her application.
77.The filing date of an application for the registration of a mark
shall be the date on which the application is received by the Officecontaining the following indications and elements, as prescribed —
(a)an express or implicit indication that the registration of a mark issought;
(b)indications allowing the identity of the applicant to be established;
(c)indications allowing the applicant or its representative, if any, tobe contacted by the Office;
(d)a sufficiently clear representation of the mark whose registrationis sought; and
(e)a list of the goods or services for which the registration is sought.
78.(1) The Registrar shall examine the application to determine
whether it complies with the requirements of section 77 and any otherrequirements as may be prescribed.
(2) The Registrar shall also determine whether the mark complies
with the definition of a mark under this Act, and whether it complieswith the requirements of paragraphs (a) to (i) of section 74 (2).
(3) The Registrar shall, if he or she is satisfied that the application
complies with the requirements of the provisions of this section, acceptthe application and shall, within such time and in such manner as maybe prescribed, publish that application in the Journal subject to thepayment of a prescribed publication fee.Saving of
vested rights
Application
forregistrationof mark
Filing date of
applicationforregistrationof mark
Examination
of applicationforregistrationof mark
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79.(1) Any person may, on the grounds specified in section 74 (2), or
on grounds that the mark does not comply with the definition of a mark as
specified in this Act, give to the Registrar within such period and in suchmanner as may be prescribed, notice of his or her opposition to the registrationof a mark.
(2) The Registrar shall, as soon as he or she receives such notice, send a
copy to the applicant who shall, within such period and in such manner asmay be prescribed, submit, to the Registrar, his or her written response(referred to in this section as a “counter-statement”) specifying the groundson which he or she relies for his or her application.
(3) Where the applicant files his or her counter-statement, the Registrar
shall furnish a copy to the person opposing and shall hear the parties, ifeither wishes to be heard.
(4)Following the publication of an application, and until the registration
of the mark, the applicant shall have the same rights and privileges as he orshe would have if the mark had been registered, but it shall be a valid defenceto an action brought hereunder in respect of an act done after the applicationwas published, if the defendant establishes that the mark could not havebeen validly registered at the time the act was done.
80.(1) Where having considered the merits of any opposition and any
counter-statement thereto, the Registrar is satisfied that the application forthe registration of a mark satisfies the requirements of  this Act, the Registrarshall —
(a)register the mark in the appropriate register;
(b)issue, to the applicant, a certificate of  registration; and
(c)publish, in the Journal, a reference to the registration of the mark.
(2)Where the requirements for the registration of a mark are not satisfied,
or an application for the registration of a mark has been successfully opposed,the Registrar shall refuse to register that mark.
81.(1) Registration of a mark shall confer on the registered owner, the
right —
(a)to exclusive ownership of that mark;
(b)to prohibit third parties from using the mark;  and
(c)to  institute  court proceedings against any person infringing his orher rights.
(2) A person who, without authorisation from the owner of a registered
mark  —
(a)affixes the registered mark or a similar distinctive sign on goods forwhich the mark has been registered, on goods associated with the
services for which the mark has been registered or on containers,wrapping or packaging of such goods;
(b)suppresses or distorts the mark after it has been affixed on the
goods for which the mark has been registered for commercial
purposes;Opposition to
registration ofmark
Registration
of mark
Rights
conferred byregistration
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       - 38 -A.53
(c)produces, sells, offers for sale, distributes or stocks labels, containers,
wrapping, packaging  or  any  other material on which the  mark isreproduced;
(d)refills or re-uses for commercial purposes, labels, containers, wrapping,packaging or any other material bearing the mark;
(e)uses  in  the course of trade, a sign that is identical or  similar to themark in respect of any goods or services, where such use may causea risk of confusion or association with the registered mark;
(f)uses in the course of trade, a sign identical or similar to the mark inrespect of any goods or serv ices where such use may cause unfair
economic prejudice to the registered owner through dilution of thedistinctive character or advertising value of the mark, or an unfair
advantage being taken from the reputation of the registered mark orof its holder; or
(g)for non-commercial purposes, uses a sign identical or similar to themark, where this may cause dilution of the distinctive character oradvertising value of the mark, or an unfair advantage being takenof the reputation of the mark or of its holder,
infringes the rights of the owner of the registered mark.(3) The following acts, in particular, shall constitute use of a mark in
the course of trade —
(a)introducing in the market, selling, offering for sale or distributing goodsor services with the mark or with reference to the mark;
(b)importing, exporting, storing or transporting goods that bear themark or refer to the mark;
(c)use of the mark in advertising, publications, commercial documents,
written or oral communication, irrespective of the means of
communication used;
(d)use of the mark on the internet or other electronic communication
media or networks open to the public, where the use is intended for
Botswana or has a commercial market in Botswana;
(e)adoption or use of the mark as part of a domain name or other similaridentification or designation on the internet or other electronic
communication media or networks open to the public; and
(f)the acts mentioned under paragraphs (a) and (b) performed in respect
of labels, tags, packaging or wrapping material and similar productsthat reproduce or bear the mark.
(4)The provisions of section 74 (2)  (h ) shall apply in any action instituted
by the owner of a well known mark against any person in respect of theunlawful use of that mark.
82.(1) The rights conferred by registration of a mark may not be invoked
to prevent a third party from using, in the course of trade —
(a)his or her name or address, or that of his or her trading establishment;
(b)the mark on goods lawfully bearing that mark after the goods have beenput in the market in Botswana or abroad by the registered holder or bya person acting with the holder’s consent or having an economic tie tothe holder where the goods and the packaging or wrappi ng in direct
contact with the goods has not deteriorated or been altered;
Exceptions to
rightsconferred byregistration
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       - 39 -A.54
(c)bona  fide  indications or  information on characteristics of the
goods  or  services  produced  or  marketed by that pers on, in
particular, those referring to quantity, quality, use, geographical origin
or price of the goods or services;
(d)a geographical indication registered under this Act;
(e)bona  fide  indications  or  information  on  the  availability,  use,application or compatibility of the goods or  services  produced ordistributed by that person, in particular in relation  to spare  parts,replacements or accessories if the registered mark is used in good
faith to perform legitimate industrial or commercial activities, andis  not  likely to  cause  confusion or  association in respect of thecommercial source of the goods or services.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) (b) , an economic tie shall exist
where one of two persons or more involved may exercise directly orindirectly on the other, a decisive influence with respect to the use of themark, or where a third party may exercise such an influence on both persons.
(3) Where a mark consists of a sign composed of several elements,
protection shall not extend to the elements that are merely descriptive or areof common or necessary use for the purposes of trade.
83.(1) The owner of a mark shall, in addition to any other rights, remedies
or actions available to him or her, have the right to institute court proceedingsagainst any person who infringes the mark by using that mark without his orher authorisation or by performing acts which make it likely that infringementwill occur.
(2) The right conferred under this section shall extend to the use of a
sign similar to the registered mark in relation to goods and servicessimilar to those for which the mark has been registered, where confusionmay arise in the public.
(3) The right conferred under this section shall extend to the use of a
sign which constitutes a reproduction, an imitation or a translation of aregistered mark which is well known in Botswana in relation to goodsor services which are not similar to those in respect of which a mark isregistered where —
(a)use of the mark in relation to those goods or services would indicatea connection between those goods or services and the owner of theregistered mark; and
(b)the  interests  of  the owner of the registered mark are likely to beprejudiced by such use.
(4) A plaintiff in proceedings for infringement shall be entitled to
relief by way of an interdict, delivery up or destruction of any infringingproduct, article or product of which the infringing product forms aninseparable part, damages or an account of the profits derived from theinfringement.
(5) The court shall not, in awarding damages under this section, also
order, in respect of the same infringement, that the plaintiff be given anaccount of the profits derived by him or her from the infringement.Proceedings for
infringement ofmark
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84.The rights in a mark may be transferred by cession, assignment,
testamentary disposition or by operation of law.
85.(1) The registration in respect of a mark shall expire 10 years after
the filing date of the application for its registration, but may, upon the written
request and payment of the prescribed renewal fee, be renewed forconsecutive periods of 10 years.
(2) Where the owner of a registered mark is late in paying the renewal
fee, the Registrar shall, upon payment of such surcharge as may be prescribed,give him or her a period of grace of six months within which he or she mustpay the late renewal fee.
(3) The rights of a registered owner shall lapse immediately after the
expiry of the six months grace period.
86.(1) Any interested person may apply to the Registrar for the
invalidation of the registration of a mark on the grounds specified in section74  (2) or on the grounds that the definition of a mark as specified under thisAct has not been satisfied.
(2) An application for the invalidation of a registration of a mark shall
be served on the owner of the mark in the prescribed manner.
(3) Any invalidation of the registration of a mark shall be deemed to
have been effective from the date of registration of the mark and a referencethereto shall be published by the Registrar in the Journal as soon as possible.
87.(1) Any interested person may make an application to the Registrar
to remove, from the register, a mark in respect of any of the goods or servicesin respect of which it is registered on the ground that up to one month priorto filing the application, the mark had, after its registration, not been used inBotswana by the registered owner or a licensee during a continuous periodof three or more years.
(2) The Registrar shall not remove a mark from the register if the owner
of the mark shows that circumstances existed which prevented the use ofthe mark and that there was no intention not to use the mark in respect ofthose goods or services, or that there was no intention to abandon the use ofthe mark in respect of the said goods or services.
(3) An application for the removal of a mark from the register of
marks shall be served on the owner and filed with the Registrar in themanner and within the time prescribed.
88.(1) An owner of a mark who loses rights on the mark under
section 85 or 87 may apply, within two months, to the Registrar for thereinstatement of his or her rights on the mark, giving reasons.
(2) The Registrar may reinstate the rights of the owner of the mark
where it emerges that failure to comply with the time limit occurredregardless of due care as required by the circumstances having beentaken, subject to payment of a re-instatement fee.Transfer of
rights in mark
Invalidation
of registrationof mark
Removal of
mark ongrounds ofnon-use
Reinstatement
of lapsedmark rightsDuration and
renewal ofregistration ofmark
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89.A mark in respect of which Botswana is a designated State,
registered by ARIPO by virtue of the Banjul Protocol, shall have the
same effect and enjoy the same protection in Botswana as a markregistered under this Act unless the Registrar communicates to ARIPO,in respect of the application therefor, a decision, in accordance with theprovisions of that Protocol, that if a mark is registered by ARIPO, thatmark shall have no effect in Botswana.
90.(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), sections 74 to 87 of this
Act shall apply to collective marks, except that references therein to amark shall be read as being references to a collective mark.
(2) An application for the registration of a collective mark shall
designate the mark as a collective mark and shall be accompanied by acopy of the rules governing the use of the collective mark.
(3) For purposes of subsection (2), “rules” means the rules made by
the person under whose control the collective mark may be used.
(4) The registered owner of a collective mark shall notify the
Registrar, in writing, of any changes made in respect of the rules referredto in subsection (2).
91.(1) In addition to the grounds set out in section 86 (1), the
Registrar shall invalidate the registration of a collective mark if the personrequesting the invalidation proves that only the registered owner usesthe mark, or that he or she uses or permits its use in contravention of therules referred to in section 90 (2), or that he or she uses or permits itsuse in a manner which is liable to deceive those in the trade or the publicas to the origin or any other common characteristics of the goods orservices concerned.
(2) An application for the invalidation of a collective mark shall be served
on the owner of the mark in the manner and within the time prescribed.
92.(1) Any licence contract made in relation to a mark shall provide
for the effective control by the licensor of the quality of the goods or servicesof the licensee in connection with which the mark is used.
(2) If the licence contract does not provide for quality control referred to
in subsection (1), or if the quality control is not effectively carried out, thelicence contract may be declared invalid or non-enforceable by the Court.
(3) The registration of a collective mark, or an application therefor, may
not be the subject of a licence contract.
(4) A licence holder shall apply, in the prescribed manner and subject to
the payment of the prescribed fee,  to the Registrar to record, on the register,details about the licence contract made under subsection (1) and for suchpurpose the Registrar shall not require submission of the licence contract ora translation thereof, nor any indication of the financial terms of the contract.
(5) A single request shall be sufficient to record a licence in respect of
more than one registered mark if the registration numbers of all registrationsconcerned are indicated in the request, the holder of the marks and thelicensee are the same for all registrations, and the request indicates, asprescribed, the scope of the licence with respect to all the registrations.Banjul
Protocol onmarks
Collective
marks
Invalidation
of registrationof collectivemark
Licensing of
marks andcollectivemarks
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(6) Failure to record a licence at the Office shall not affect the validity of
the registration of the mark that is the subject of the licence, or the rights
granted by that registration.
(7) Recording of a licence by the Office shall not be required as a
condition for any right that the licensee may have to join infringementproceedings initiated by the holder of the registration or to obtain, byway of such proceedings, damages resulting from an infringement ofthe mark which is the subject of the licence.
(8) Where the use of a mark by a licensee is deemed to constitute
any use by the holder of the registration in any proceedings relating tothe acquisition, maintenance or enforcement of rights in a mark, therecording of the licence shall not be required as a condition for such useto be recognised.
93.(1) A name or designation may not be used as a trade name if by
its nature or the use to which it may be put, it is contrary to public orderor morality and if, in particular, it is liable to deceive those in the tradeor the public as to the nature of the enterprise identified by that name.
(2) Notwithstanding any law providing for any obligation to register
a trade name, such name shall be protected, even prior to or withoutregistration, against any unlawful act committed by a third party.
(3) Any subsequent use of the trade name by a third party, whether
as a trade name, a mark or a collective mark, or any such use of a similartrade name or mark, which is likely to mislead the public, shall be deemedto be unlawful.
PART IX – International Registration under the Madrid Protocol
94.(1) Where an international application is filed with the Office
for transmission to the International Bureau, the Office shall verify thatBotswana qualifies as the country of origin under the Madrid Protocol inrespect of that application, and that the particulars appearing in theinternational application correspond to the relevant particulars appearing inthe basic application or basic registration, as the case may be, in accordancewith the provisions of the Madrid Protocol and the Regulations.
(2) Where the international application complies with the prescribed
requirements, the Office shall so certify in the application indicating thedate on which it was received, and shall, upon payment of the prescribedhandling fee by the applicant, forward the application to the International
Bureau.
(3) Any communication, including the international application,
submitted to the International Bureau through the Office shall be inEnglish.
(4) Where the international application does not meet the prescribed
requirements, the Office shall not forward it to the International Bureau,and shall inform the applicant accordingly.Trade names
Initial
examinationofinternationalapplications
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95.Where, within 5 years from the date of the international
registration, the basic application filed in Botswana or the basic
registration resulting therefrom ceases to have effect, the Office shallnotify the International Bureau accordingly and shall request thecancellation of the international registration in respect of the goods andservices affected.
96.(1) Where the Office finds that the mark that is the subject of an
international registration designating Botswana cannot be protected, itshall notify a provisional refusal of protection to the International Bureaucomplying with the requirements prescribed in the Madrid Protocol andthe Regulations.
(2) The holder of the international registration referred to under
subsection (1) shall enjoy the same remedies as if the mark had beenfiled for registration directly with the Office in terms of Part VIII.
97.Where the Office determines that the mark does not comply with
the requirements specified under section 74 (2), it shall notify theInternational Bureau in accordance  with the relevant provisions of theMadrid Protocol and the Regulations that, to the extent that the requirements
are not met, registration and protection in Botswana is refused.
98.(1) Subject to section 99, a mark which is registered  under the Madrid
Protocol and contains a designation of  Botswana shall be protected in thesame manner as if an application for registration had been filed under thisAct on the date of its international registration.
(2) The Registrar shall, where there is no refusal under section 97 or
where such a refusal has been withdrawn, register the mark in the appropriateregister and publish, in the Journal, a reference to the registration of thatmark and any recording made in the International Register in respect  of aninternational registration shall, to the extent that it applies to Botswana as adesignated party, have the same effect as if it had been recorded in theregister of marks at the Office.
99.(1) Any interested person may, on the grounds that the requirements
of section 74 (2) have not been met, or that the mark does not comply withthe definition of a mark as specified in this Act, the Madrid Protocol or theRegulations, give to the Registrar, within three months from the publicationreferred to in section 98 (2) and in such manner as may be prescribed,notice of his or her opposition to the protection of the mark.
(2) The Registrar shall, as soon as he or she receives such notice, notify
the International Bureau as prescribed in the Madrid Protocol and theRegulations, that protection in Botswana is provisionally refused pendingthe outcome of the opposition proceedings.
(3) Where notification is made under subsection (2), the holder of
the mark that has been registered internationally shall enjoy the sameremedies as if the mark had been filed for registration directly with theRegistrar.Lapse of basic
application orbasicregistration
Initial refusal
of registrationby Office
Refusal of
registrationby Office
Registration
under MadridProtocol
Opposition to
protection ofinternationallyregisteredmark
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       - 44 -A.59
(4) Where a final decision is taken by the Office in respect of an
opposition filed against an international registration designating
Botswana, the Office shall notify that fact to the International Bureauby means of a statement complying with the requirements prescribed inthe Madrid Protocol and the Regulations.
100. Where the effects of an international registration are invalidated
in Botswana and the invalidation is no longer subject to appeal, theOffice shall, provided that it is aware of that decision, notify theInternational Bureau in accordance with the relevant provisions of theMadrid Protocol and the Regulations.
101. (1) Notifications to the International Bureau referred to in
sections 96 (1), 97 and 99 (2) shall be sent by the Registrar not laterthan one year from the date on which the Registrar was notified of theinternational registration of the mark.
(2) The Registrar shall inform the International Bureau of any final
decision regarding the acceptance or refusal outcome of the oppositionproceedings.
102. Where an international registration designating Botswana is of
a collective mark or a certification mark, the rules governing the use ofthe collective mark or certification mark shall be submitted directly bythe holder of that international registration to the Office within theprescribed time limit.
103. (1) The Office shall, upon request from the holder of an
internationally registered mark, record a note of that internationalregistration in the register of the mark that was registered in Botswanawhere —
(a)a mark registered in Botswana is also the subject of an
international registration that extends to Botswana;
(b)the same person is recorded as holder of the registra tion in
Botswana and of the international registration;
(c)all  the  goods and services listed in the registration in Botswanaare also listed in the international registration in re spect of
Botswana; and
(d)the extension of that international registration to Botswana tookeffect after the date of registration of that mark in Botswana.
(2) A request under subsection (1) shall be subject to the payment of
the prescribed fee.
(3) Where the Office has recorded a note of an international registration
in accordance with subsection (1), it shall notify the International Bureauaccordingly and the notification shall indicate the following —
(a)the number of the international registration in question;
(b)where only some of the goods and services listed in the internationalregistration are concerned, those goods and services;
(c)the filing date and number of the application for registration andthe registration date and number of the mark in Botswana;Invalidation
ofinternationallyregisteredmark
Time limit of
notification to
InternationalBureau
Collective and
certificationmarks
Replacement
ofinternationallyregisteredmark
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       - 45 -A.60
(d)the priority date, if any, of the registration in Botswana; and
(e)information relating to any rights acquired by virtue of the registration
of the mark in Botswana.
104. (1) Where an international registration designating Botswana
is cancelled at the request of the office of origin in accordance withArticle 6 (4) of the Madrid Protocol, in respect of all or some of thegoods or services listed in the international registration, the person whowas the holder of the international registration at the date of itscancellation may, under Article 9 quinquies of the Madrid Protocol, filewith the Office, within three months from the date on which theinternational registration was cancelled, an application for registrationof the same mark in respect of goods or services covered by the cancelledinternational registration.
(2) An application under subsection (1) shall be treated as if it had
been filed on the date of the international registration or on the date ofthe recording of the territorial extension to Botswana and, if theinternational registration enjoyed priority, the application shall enjoythe same priority.
(3) Subject to this section, the provisions applicable to an application
for registration filed directly with the Office shall apply with necessarymodification  to an application resulting from transformation under
subsection (1).
(4) An application under subsection (2) shall be made on such a form
as may be prescribed for application for registration of a mark and shallinclude the following —
(a)a statement that the application is made by way of transformation;
(b)the registration number of the international registration whichhas been cancelled;
(c)the date of the international registration, or the date of recordingof the territorial extension to Botswana, where applicable;
(d)the date on which the cancellation of the international registrationwas recorded; and
(e)the  date  of  any priority claimed in the international applicationand recorded in the International Register, where applicable.
(5) An application for registration under this section shall be subject
to the payment of the prescribed fee.
(6) Where the mark under the international registration had become
protected in Botswana on or before the date on which the internationalregistration was cancelled, and provided that all the requirements relatingto an application to register that mark under subsection (1) are met, themark shall be registered by the Office and such registration shall bearthe date of the cancelled international registration or, where applicable,the date of recording of the territorial extension to Botswana, and shallenjoy any priority enjoyed by the cancelled international registration.Transformation
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       - 46 -A.61
(7) Where the mark under the international registration had not become
protected in Botswana on or before the date on which the international
registration was cancelled, any procedures already undertaken by the Officein respect of the international registration on or before the date on whichan application under subsection (1) is filed, shall be —
(a)considered as having been undertaken for the purposes of the
application under subsection (1); and
(b)deemed to have as its application date the date of the cancelled
international registration or, where applicable, the date of recording of
the territorial extension to Botswana, and shall enjoy any priorityenjoyed by the cancelled international registration.
PART X – Geographical Indications
105. Except as provided under the provisions of this Part, the
provisions of Part VIII shall, with the necessary modifications, apply togeographical  indications and their registration.
106. (1) The exclusive right to a geographical indication under this
Act shall be acquired by registration in accordance with the provisionsunder this Part.
(2) A geographical indication shall not be registered if it is —
(a)incapable of distinguishing goods originating from a particular territory,region or locality or does not possess chara cteristics attributed to that
territory, region or locality in which those goods come from;
(b)contrary to public order or morality;
(c)likely to mislead the public or those in the trade, as regards the
geographical origin of the goods concerned, or their nat ure or
characteristics;
(d)in respect to goods, identical with the term usually used in commonlanguage as the common name for such goods in Botswana; or
(e)not protected, has ceased to be protected or has fallen into disuse in itscountry of origin.
107. (1) An application for the registration of a geographical indication,
accompanied by such fees as may be prescribed, shall be made to theRegistrar in the prescribed manner and shall contain the following —
(a)a request, in writing, that the geographical indication be registered;
(b)the geographical indication for which registration is sought;
(c)a specification containing —
(i)the name of the products to which the geographical indicationapplies,
(ii) a description of the product, including its raw materials, if
appropriate, and principal physical, chemical, microbiologicalor organoleptic characteristics,
(iii) the definit ion of the geographical area from which the
designated product originates,Applicability
of provisionsrelating to
marks
Acquisition of
exclusiveright togeographicalindication
Application
forregistration ofgeographicalindication
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(iv) ev idence that the product originates in the de fined
geographical area,
(v) a description of the method of obtaining or producing the
product, including as appropriate, the traditional local methods,
and information concerning packaging if it is claimed that thepackaging is relevant to the claimed characteristics or requiredto safeguard the quality or ensure the genuine origin of the product,
(vi) details bearing out the link between the quality or characteristicsof the product and its geographical origin,
(vii) the name and address of the authority or body responsible for
certifying compliance with the specification, or
(viii) other information prescribed by regulation; and
(d)other requirements prescribed by regulation.
(2)The applicant may at any time be fore his or her geographical
indication is registered withdraw his or her application.
108. (1) The Registrar shall examine an application for registration
of a geographical indication to determine whether —
(a)it com plies with the requirements of section 107 (1) and any
other requirements as may be prescribed; and
(b)it complies with the requirements of paragraphs (a) to (e) of
section 106 (2).
(2) The Registrar shall, if he or she is satisfied that the application
complies with the requirements of the provisions of this section, acceptthat application and shall, within such time and in such manner as maybe prescribed, publish that application in the Journal.
109. (1) Any interested person may, on the ground that the
requirements of section 106 (2) have not been satisfied, orthat the geographical indication does not comply with the definition ofa geographical indication as specified in this Act, give to the Registrarwithin such period and in such manner as may be prescribed, notice ofhis or her opposition to the registration of the geographical indication.
(2) The Registrar shall, as soon as he or she receives a notice under
subsection (1), send a copy thereof to the applicant who shall, withinsuch period and in such manner as may be prescribed, send to theRegistrar, his or her written response thereto (referred to as a “counter-statement”) specifying the grounds on which he or she relies for his orher application.
110.(1) Where, having considered the merits of any opposition and
any counter-statement, the Registrar is satisfied that the application forthe registration of a geographical indication satisfies the requirementsof this Act, the Registrar shall —
(a)register the geographical indication in the appropriate register;
(b)issue to the applicant, a certificate of registration; and
(c)publish in the Journal, a reference to the registration of the geographicalindication.Examination of
application forregistration ofgeographicalindication
Opposition to
registration ofgeographicalindication
Registration of
geographicalindication
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(2) Where the requirements for the registration of a geographical
indication are not satisfied, or an application for the registration of a
geographical indication has been successfully opposed, the Registrarshall not register the geographical indication.
111. (1) The right to a registered geographical indication shall belong
to the registered owner.
(2) Registration of a geographical indication shall confer on the
registered owner the right to prohibit third parties from using thegeographical indication, and to institute court proceedings against anyperson infringing his or her rights.
(3) No person shall, without authorisation from the owner of the
registered geographical indication —
(a)use the registered geographical indication to identify products ofthe same description but not originating from the place indicatedby the geographical indication, even where the true origin is
indicated or the geographical indication used is accompanied bydisclaimers or expressions such as “kind”, “type”, “style”,
“imitation” or the like;
(b)use the registered geographical indication to indicate that productsoriginate in a geographical region other than their true place oforigin; or
(c)use the registered geographical indication for goods produced inthe geographical area specified in the  register in respect of thegeographical indication that do  not possess the quality, reputationor other characteristic specified in the register.
(4) The provisions of section 114 (3) shall apply in any action instituted
by the owner of a geographical indication against any person whocontravenes subsection (3).
112.The rights conferred by registration of a geographical indication
may not be invoked to prevent a national or domiciliary of Botswana who
has previously used the geographical indication to identify wines or spiritsto continue such use in the same manner, provided such use was undertaken
continuously —
(a)for at least 10 years preceding April 15, 1 994; or
(b)in good faith preceding the date specified under paragraph (a).
113.(1) Any interested person may apply to the Registrar for the
invalidation of the registration of a geographical indication on the ground
that the requirements of section 106 (2) and the definition of a geographical
indication as specified under this Act, have not been satisfied.
(2) An application for the invalidation of a geographical indication shall
be served on the owner of the geographical indication in the prescribed manner,and on any other person having the right to use the geographical indication.
(3) Where the application for invalidation is based on the ground that
the geographical area specified in the register does not correspond to thegeographical indication, or that the indication of the products for which the
geographical indication is used or the indication of the quality, reputation
or other characteristic of such product is missing or unsatisfactory, the
Registrar may order for the rectification of the registration.Rights of
registeredowner, etc.
Exceptions to
rightsconferred byregistration
Invalidation
of registrationofgeographical
indication
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PART XI — Acts of Unfair Competition
114.(1) On the request of the owner of a title of protection under this
Act, or of any competent authority or any person, association or syndicate,
the court may grant an interdict to prevent an act of unfair competition,award damages or grant any other remedy as the court may deem appropriate.
(2) For purposes of this Act any act of competition which is contrary to
honest practices in industrial or commercial matters shall constitute an actof unfair competition, and shall be unlawful.
(3) The following, in particular, shall constitute acts of unfair
competition —
(a)any act of such a nature as to create confusion by any means whateverwith  the  establishment, the  goods or the industrial or commercialactivities of a competitor;
(b)the making of a false allegation in the course of trade of such anature as to discredit the establishment, the goods, or the industrialor commercial activities of a competitor;
(c)the making of allegations which, in the course of trade, is likelyto mislead the public as to the nature, the manufacturing process,the characteristics, the suitability for their purpose, or the quantityof the goods of a competitor;
(d)the use of a geographical indication that  identifies specific productsof a particular origin  to designate products of the same descriptionbut not originating from the place indicated by the geographical
indication, even where the true origin is indicated or the geographicalindication used is accompanied by disclaimers or expressions suchas “kind”, “type”, “style”, “imitation” or the like;
(e)the use of geographical indications to indicate that products originatein a geographical region other than their true place of origin; or
(f)any  act  or  practice done in the course of industrial or commercialactivities that results in obtaining, using or disclosing to third partiesundisclosed information without the consent of the rightful holderof that information.
(4) When, as a condition of approving the marketing of a pharmaceutical
or agricultural chemical product that utilises new chemical substances, anauthority in Botswana requires the submission of undisclosed tests or otherdata, the origination of which involves a considerable effort, such data shallbe protected against unfair commercial use and disclosure and where it isnecessary to protect the public, such data shall be disclosed on conditionthat steps are taken to protect it from unfair commercial use.
(5) For the purposes of this section, information, data or a test shall be
considered undisclosed if —
(a)it is not, as a body or in the precise configuration or assembly of itscomponents, generally known or readily accessible to persons withinthe circles within which it is normally dealt with;Acts of unfair
competition
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(b)it has been subjected to reasonable steps, under the circumstances,
to preserve it from disclosure; and
(c)it has commercial value because it is secret.
PART XII – T raditional Knowledge and Handicrafts
115.(1) Traditional knowledge shall be registered together with a
description of such knowledge where —
(a)it has not been disclosed to the public through any means; or
(b)if it has been disclosed, such disclosure has not led to any commercialor industrial exploitation in Botswana.
(2) A description shall disclose traditional knowledge in a manner
which is sufficiently clear and complete to permit any third party toreproduce or utilize the traditional knowledge to obtain results similaror identical to those obtained by the holder of such traditional knowledge.
(3) Any element of traditional knowledge may be registered
separately or individually in conformity with its technical characteristicswithout prejudice to its holistic nature, or as a whole in its integritycombining, if necessary, all elements of traditional knowledge into asingle registration.
116.(1) A local traditional practitioner, a representative of any local
community or any individual  may apply to register traditional knowledge.
(2) When making an application for registration of traditional
knowledge, an applicant may opt to keep all or parts of the elements oftraditional knowledge under secrecy.
(3) Where two or more local communities that occupy the same
territory have created and are in possession of identical or similarelements of traditional knowledge, they may register those elementsindividually, on behalf of each community.
117.(1) Ownership and other rights to traditional knowledge shall
belong to the owner of the traditional knowledge.
(2) Where traditional knowledge is collectively owned, rights over
it shall be exercised and enjoyed collectively in accordance with culturalpractices.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), local communities which have
registered individually for similar or identical elements of traditionalknowledge shall have the option to exercise and enjoy their rights overthe traditional knowledge individually.
(4) An applicant community which comprises of individuals from
different countries including Botswana, shall have the right to registerand acquire rights over traditional knowledge in Botswana and in theother countries.
118.The Registrar shall cause to be published in the Journal notice
of registration of traditional knowledge which shall contain —
(a)a summary of the registered traditional knowledge, where available;Registration
of traditionalknowledge
Who may
registertraditionalknowledge
Rights
conferred bytraditionalknowledge
Notification
of registrationof traditionalknowledge
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(b)the  iden tification of  the  local community or communities that
created the traditional knowledge, and an identific ation of the
geographical distribution of the community and its intr insic
differentiating characteristics where applicable; and
(c)the date of application.
119.The Registrar or any third party with a legitimate interest may petition
the Court for an invalidation of the registration of traditional knowledge
where —
(a)the  registered  traditional  knowledge has not  been created by  theperson or persons who initially applied for registration;
(b)before registration, the registered traditional knowledge was disclosedto the public and as a result has  been commercially or  industriallyexploited in Botswana; or
(c)the registered traditional knowledge has lost its value as an elementof cultural identification as a result of its explicit abandonment, or
of continuous non-use, or continued use in a distorted manner bythird parties with the knowledge of the owner.
120.Protection of registered traditional knowledge shall expire when
it has lost its value —
(a)as an element of cultural identification;
(b)as a result of willful and expressed abandonment by its owner orowners; or
(c)as a result of non-use or use in a distorted manner by third partiesof which the owner or owners are aware.
121. (1) Protection of traditional knowledge under this Act shall
confer on the owner the following exclusive rights —
(a)where the subject matter of protection is a product, the right to
prevent  third  parties  without  consent  from  making,  u sing,
stocking, offering  for  sale, selling, commercializing, importing
or exporting the product or any element thereof;
(b)where the subject matter of protection is a domesticated animal,
cultivated plant or any micro-organism, the right to prevent third parties
without   consent  from  reproducing,  multiplying  or  preparing  forreproduction  through  an  offer  of  sale, sale, importing, exporting or
any form of commercialization;
(c)where  the  subject  matter  of protection is a design or an object of a
functional  or  aesthetic  nature including any element of handicrafts,
the  right  to  prevent  third  parties  without consent from making or
reproducing any object with a similar configuration as rega rds shape,
colour, material, technique and the overall style or visual impression
of the handicrafts that are characteristic to it;
(d)where the subject matter of protection is a name, a symbol, an emblem
or any distinctive sign of a religious, spiritual, cultural or economic
nature,  the  right  to prevent third parties without consent from any
kind of use, both in maternal language  or  any other  language thatconsist of an identical or similar sign on a product or on a product
associated  with  services,  making of  labels, packages  or othermaterial that reproduce or contain the signs for a commercial orany other purpose.Invalidation of
registration oftraditionalknowledge
Expiry of
protection oftraditionalknowledge
Specific rights
over traditionalknowledge
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(2) No person shall distort a registered traditional knowledge in any
way, especially distortion of a spiritual or cultural identity of a community
that owns traditional knowledge or any act that implies direct or indirectuse of the knowledge for any purpose including scientific or academicresearch, without the owner’s consent:
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), where the
subject matter of protection is a product which has been put in the marketin Botswana by either the owner or by a third party with the consent ofthe owner, commercial acts in respect of the product shall not be regardedas distorting the cultural identity of the community or in any waycontribute to it.
(4) Where, upon registration of traditional knowledge, an owner takes
reasonable steps to keep part of the elements of the traditional knowledgea secret, no person shall disclose or acquire the undisclosed knowledgein any manner contrary to honest commercial practices.
122. (1) Any proceedings concerning the protection or infringement
of rights over traditional knowledge shall be initiated either by the localcommunity or any other owner of that knowledge.
(2) The Court may order the infringing party to pay to the local
community an amount to be prescribed.
123. The rights of local communities over registered traditional
knowledge under this Act may not be assigned, ceded or transferred inany manner.
124. (1) The Minister may, on grounds of public interest, after hearing
any local community that owns traditional knowledge, authorize thescientific, commercial or industrial exploitation of that knowledge orany element of it, by a third party, where —
(a)the exploitation does not distort or offend the cultural identity ofthe local community; and
(b)the local community is granted an equitable share of any benefit
derived from such scientific, commercial or industrial exploitation.
(2) The exploitation granted under subsection (1) shall be limited by
the scope and duration of the authorization and shall expire when it canno longer be justified on the basis of public interest.
125. (1) Local communities may grant licensing agreements to
exploit traditional knowledge or any element of it to third parties subjectto the following conditions —
(a)payment by the third party, at the discretion of the community, includingpayment  of  either a  lump  sum, royalty fee or participation in thebenefits directly or indirectly derived from the exploitation of the knowledge;
(b)conferment by the third party of benefits such as educational grants,medical assistance or any other benefits;
(c)the exploitation does not lead to distortion of any kind; and
(d)registration of the licensing agreement with the Registrar.Right to
instituteinfringementproceedings
Transfer,
assigning,
etc., of rightsover
traditional
knowledge
Exploitation
of traditionalknowledgerights byothers
Granting of
licences byowners oftraditionalknowledge
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(2) Where, exploitation under this section leads to loss of the
traditional knowledge’s nature as an element of cultural identification
of that particular local community, the licensing agreement shall ceaseto be valid.
126. (1) Designs or objects with an aesthetic or functional
configuration, including clothing, pottery or any other handicrafts thatconstitute inseparable elements of culture, the spirituality or the traditionof any local community may be registered —
(a)in the register for traditional knowledge; or
(b)where, even though there has been commercial exploitation priorto registration, the object or design has not lost the essential linkidentifying the cultural, spiritual or tradition of the local community.
(2) The application shall, subject to section 115, contain a description
of the general characteristics of the use, methods of making, the selection,preparation and use of raw materials of each type of product and a generaldescription of the history and evolution of the handicraft.
(3) The local community owning the handicraft may cause to be
registered, individual pieces of the product of the handicraft that arecreated after registration, which pieces may be added to the generalregistration.
(4) Subject to the provisions of section 120, the exclusive rights in a
registered handicraft shall apply to the whole series or types ofhandicrafts as described in the register, in order to prevent the making,using, stocking, selling, offering for sale, importing or exporting by thirdparties without consent any products, that may in any manner lead toconfusion by consumers as to the origin, creation or making ofhandicrafts.
127. (1) Any title of industrial property, including but not limited to
patents, trade marks, industrial designs or plant variety certificates that aregranted, irrespective of any rights of traditional knowledge under this Act,shall not be enforceable against third parties until the written consent of thelocal community owning the traditional knowledge is obtained.
(2) Local communities may, where applicable and at their discretion,
seek protection for the elements of their traditional knowledge in analternative or complimentary manner by means of other regimes of industrialproperty without prejudice to the rights and interests protected by this Act.
PART XIII — Miscellaneous Provisions
128. (1) Any change in the ownership of a patent, a utility model
certifi cate,  the registration of an industrial design, mark or coll ective
mark, or in the ownership of an application therefor, shall be in writingand shall, at the request of any interested party made in the prescribedmanner, be recorded by the Registrar in the appropriate register, andexcept in the case of an application, be published by notice in the Journal.Registration of
handicrafts
Validity of
industrial
property titlesrelating totraditionalknowledge
Changes in
ownership
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(2) Any change in the ownership of a patent, a utility model certificate,
the registration of an industrial design, mark or collective mark or in the
ownership of an application therefor, shall have no effect against third partiesunless it has been recorded by the Registrar in the appropriate register.
(3) A change in ownership of the registration of a mark or a collective
mark shall be invalid if it is likely to deceive or cause confusion particularlyin regard to the nature, origin, manufacturing process, characteristics orsuitability for their purpose, of the goods or services in relation to whichthe mark or collective mark is intended to be used or is being used.
(4) Where a change in ownership concerns more than one registered
right or more than one pending application of the same person, a singlerequest shall be sufficient to record the change in respect of all of themprovided that the parties involved are the same for all the registered rightsand pending applications concerned, and the numbers of all the patents,registrations and applications concerned are indicated in the request.
129. (1) Any licence or agreement concerning a patent, a utility model
certificate, a registered industrial design or registered mark, traditionalknowledge or an application therefor shall have no effect against thirdparties unless it has been recorded in the appropriate register.
(2) The provision of subsection 128 (2) shall apply to the recordation
of licences in the register.
130. (1) Every person who makes an application under this Act for
the grant or registration of a patent, utility model certificate, industrialdesign, mark, or collective mark, or of any other thing which may beapplied for under this Act, and whose ordinary residence or principal placeof business is outside Botswana, shall be represented by a legal practitionerwho has been enrolled to practise in the courts of Botswana in accordancewith the provisions of the Legal Practitioners’ Act or such other person asthe Minister may prescribe.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), any interested person may, on his or
her own behalf —
(a)file an application for a patent or utility m odel for the purposes of
the filing date;
(b)pay any prescribed fee; and
(c)receive a receipt or an attestation from the Office, in respect of a
procedure referred to in paragraph (a) and (b).
131. (1) The Registrar may correct any clerical or other error —
(a)in translation or transcription in any application filed under this Act;
(b)in any document filed or lodged in pursuance of an application underparagraph ( a); or
(c)in any register maintained in pursuance of this Act.
(2) Subsection (1) shall not be construed as giving the Registrar any
power to correct or amend any application, document or register in anymaterial manner.Agents
Cap. 61:01
Correction
of errorsLicence
contract
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(3) A correction made in pursuance of this section shall be made by
the Registrar of his or her own accord or upon the request of any
interested person.
(4) Where an interested person under subsection (3) requests the
Registrar to correct any application or other document filed under thisAct, that person shall pay, to the Registrar, such fee as may be prescribed.
132. The Registrar shall give any party to proceedings before the
Office an opportunity of being heard and of complying with any missingrequirements before making any decision under this Act or the regulationsif that decision might adversely affect or prejudice that party.
133. (1) Where anything is required to be done within a prescribed
time and, by reason of a delay in the Office, the thing is not done, theRegistrar may extend the time for the doing of that thing for such periodas may be prescribed, and no fees shall be payable in respect of thatextension.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), the Registrar
may, upon the written request of an interested person, and upon paymentof such fee as may be prescribed, extend, for such period as may beprescribed, the time specified for the doing of any act if that personshows good cause as to why he or she did not do that act within theprescribed time.
134. (1) Any person who, knowing the same to be false —
(a)makes or causes to be made a false entry in any register kept interms of this Act;
(b)makes or causes to be made any document falsely purporting tobe a copy of an entry in any such register; or
(c)produces, tenders or causes to be produced as evidence an entryacquired under paragraph ( b) or a copy thereof,
commits an offence and  shall,  on  conviction, be sentenced to a fine
of not l ess than P5 000 but not more than P10 000, or to im prisonment
for a term of not less than one year but not more than three years, or to both.(2) Any person who —(a)for the purpose of deceiving the Registrar or any other officer inthe execution of his duties under this Act; or
(b)for the purpose of procuring or influencing the doing or omissionof any act under this Act,
makes a false statement or representation  knowing the same to be false,
commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to a fineof not less than P5 000 but not more than P10 000, or toimprisonment for a term of not less than one year but not more than
three years, or to both.(3) Any person who, knowing the same to be false, makes a false
statement or representation that —Exercise of
discretionarypowers
Extension of
time forapplications
Offences and
penalties
IP/N/1/BWA/I/3 
       - 56 -A.71
(a)a patent has been granted to him or her or to any other person in
respect of any invention;
(b)he or she or any other person is the owner of any registered design,mark, collective mark or trade name; or
(c)he or she has been granted an exclusive or compulsory licence touse any patent, registered design, registered mark or collectivemark or trade name,
which statement or representation is intended to induce another personto act thereon, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be sentencedto a fine of not less than P2 000 but not more than P5 000, or to
imprisonment for a term of not less than six months but not more thantwo years, or to both.
(4) Subject to the provisions of sections 25 (1), 31, 32, 33, 55 (4), 81 (2)
and 111 (2), the performance of any act referred to in sections 25, 55, 81 and111 by a person other than the owner of the title of protection and without the
agreement of such owner shall constitute an infringement.
(5) The court may, on the application to it by the owner of the title of
protection, or by a licensee if he or she has requested the owner to institutecourt proceedings for a specific relief and the owner has refused or failed todo so, grant an interdict to prevent an infringement or unlawful act referred
to in sections 93 (3), 111 (2) and 114 (2).
(6) Any person who intentionally or wilfully performs any act which
constitutes an infringement as defined in subsection (4) of this section, oran unlawful act as defined in sections 93 (3), 111(2) and 114 (2) commits anoffence and shall be sentenced, on conviction, to a fine of not less than P2 000but not more than P5 000, or to imprisonment for a term of not less than sixmonths but not more than two years, or to both.
(7) Any person who commits an offence or unlawful act for which no
specific penalty has been specified shall be sentenced to a fine of not lessthan P2 000 but not more than P5 000, or to imprisonment for a term of notless than six months but not more than two years, or to both.
135. A person aggrieved by any decision made under this Act may
appeal —
(a)to the Minister in the manner prescribed, and within the time
prescribed, if he or she is aggrieved by a decision of the Registrar;
(b)to the High Court against the decision of the Minister, within suchtime as may be prescribed; or
(c)directly to the High Court, as specified, against the decision of theRegistrar or the Minister.
136. The provisions of any international treaty in respect of industrial
property and any related rights to which the Republic of Botswana is aparty shall apply to matters dealt with under this Act, subject to anyreservations which the Republic of Botswana has made in relation tothose treaties.
Application of
internationaltreatiesAppeals
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137. The Minister may, by statutory instrument, make regulations providing
for any matter required to be prescribed or which is to be provided for under
this Act, or which otherwise relates to the administration of this Act.
138. The Industrial Property Act is hereby repealed.
139. (1) Notwithstanding the repeal under section 138, patents
granted, designs and trade marks registered under the repealed Act shallremain in force but shall, subject to subsections (2) and (3), be deemedto have been granted under this Act.
(2) Patents granted and industrial designs registered under the
repealed Act shall remain in force for the unexpired period of protectionprovided under this Act subject to payment of maintenance fees.
(3) Trademarks already registered and due for renewal shall, upon
renewal, be reclassified in accordance with this Act.
(4) For the purposes of the payment of annual maintenance fees for
patents and patent applications, and of renewal fees for registeredindustrial designs under subsection (2) hereof, the reference to “the filingdate” in sections 28 (2) and 56 (1) respectively, shall be construed asbeing a reference to the date of registration in Botswana.
(5) The Registrar, Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrars
appointed under section 4 of the repealed Act shall be deemed to havebeen appointed under this Act.
140. This Act binds the State.
PASSED by the National Assembly this 29th day of March, 2010.
BARBARA N. DITHAPO,
Clerk of the National Assembly.Regulations
Repeal of
Cap. 68:03
Savings
Act to bind
State
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