Trademark Examiners Workshop in Ghana Delivers Practical Insights and Global Expertise

INTA recently partnered with Ghana’s Registrar General’s Department (RGD) to deliver a hybrid Trademark Examiners Workshop at the Kofi Annan ICT Training Center in Accra, Ghana.  

The two-day workshop took place in early September, bringing together around 45 participants (a mix of examiners, company inspectors, program officers, and record officers) for intensive and practice-oriented sessions covering priority examination topics. A mix of INTA members from various committees, as well as government attorneys, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) experts, and representatives from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) facilitated the event.  

The workshop kicked off with opening remarks from Registrar General of Ghana, Ms. Grace Issahaque, and INTA’s Africa Consultant Hazel Okoth (Kenya), who set the tone for two days of immersive training. 

Day One was anchored on the fundamentals of practice and began with sessions covering: 

• The Role of an Intellectual Property (IP) Office in Administering Intellectual Property Rights, facilitated by IP Consultant Samuel Anum (Ghana);
• IP as a Business, presented by Eva Toledo (PADIMA, Spain); 
• The Lifecycle of a Trademark, presented by CIPO officials Anne Fortier and Philippa Rust; and 
• Bad-Faith Filings, presented by Joel Blank, a Global IP and Trade Policy Consultant from the United Kingdom.  

Later, participants engaged in a step-by-step trademark examination exercise conducted by RGD Senior States Attorney Godsentina Atswei GogoTawiah (Ghana) and a session on trademark opposition and appeal procedures presented by RGD Assistant State Attorneys Winnie Myers and Ama Abusah (Ghana).  

Day One concluded with a session hosted by Susan Anthony from the USPTO, covering techniques and strategies for writing a good ruling in a trademark opposition and a session covering certification and collective marks presented by the USPTO alongside RGD Senior Program Officer Courage Adanu (Ghana). 

On Day Two, the lens was broadened to systems and policy, with well-structured presentations from several WIPO representatives covering the following: 

• The Madrid System for International Registration of Marks, presented by Lucy Headington-Horton, Senior Legal Officer, Madrid Legal Division (Switzerland); 
• Traditional Knowledge and IP, presented by Isabella Estabile, Legal Officer, Traditional Knowledge Division (Switzerland); and 
• The WIPO Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms, presented by Leandro Toscano, Head of the Business Development Unit, WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.  

Several INTA members also delivered presentations, including Gifty Gakpetor, Managing Director, IPTogether Limited (UK), who spoke about the protection of famous and well-known marks, Jérôme Pernet, partner at TRADAMARCA (Switzerland), who presented INTA’s Model Trademark Examination Guidelines, and Graham Honsa (Wilson Lue LLP, Canada) who discussed emerging issues related to trademark classification.  

These sessions reflected INTA’s ongoing advocacy work in the protection of well-known marks, issues with the overcrowding of Class 9, and the role of trademark examination guidelines in strengthening examiner decision-making.  

Day Two concluded with a presentation on IP and enforcement by Gregor Schneider, EU Regional Advisor for IP in Africa, at the EU Delegation to Cameroon, and lessons from Anita Toni, Stéphanie Côté, and Anne Fortier from CIPO, covering the Office’s recruitment and onboarding of more than 150 trademark examiners. 

Throughout the two days, participants were engaged in Q&A sessions, practical exercises, and dialogue with international colleagues. The sessions were not only informative but also served as a valuable refresher, reinforcing daily examination practices while introducing comparative perspectives from global systems. 

As part of this engagement, INTA also had the opportunity to meet with Ghana’s Deputy Attorney General for a high-level and forward-thinking discussion covering Ghana’s scaling trademark ecosystem and the critical role of IP in national development.  

The Ghana Trademark Examiners Workshop reaffirmed the importance of investing in examiner capacity and cross-border learning. As IP continues to grow in relevance in African economies, initiatives like these ensure that national offices are strengthened in their capacity to protect IP rights, promote innovation, and facilitate economic growth. 

We extend our sincere thanks to all the speakers, examiners, and stakeholders who made this workshop a resounding success. 

INTA Consultant Hazel Okoth supports the Association’s members across Africa in collaboration with the staff at INTA’s headquarters in New York City and Representative Offices around the world. Ms. Okoth works on the Association’s policy, membership, marketing, and communications initiatives in Africa. Please contact Ms. Okoth to learn more about INTA’s activities in Africa. 

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.

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