Zimbabwe is in the continent of Africa, situated at the center of Southern Africa,
bordering Zambia to the north, South Africa to the South, Mozambique to the east and
Botswana to the south west. The 1992 census placed the country's population at 10.4
million. Zimbabwe is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a
regional organization; and the Community of Eastern and Southern African States (COMESA).
As a former British colony, Zimbabwe's system for protection of intellectual property
has been established for over 100 years. It has legislation in place for processing
registration of patents, trademarks and industrial designs, lodging objections and
handling appeals through an administrative system and courts. Zimbabwe is a member of
ARIPO (African Regional Industrial Property Organization) and has been a strong supporter
of the institution since its inception and has served as its host country. Zimbabwe has
ratified the Harare and Banjul protocols
