Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2008

Bob was invited back to Africa by the World Intellectual Property Organization, a division of the United Nations, as an expert patent-drafting instructor for a second patent-drafting workshop for participants from English-speaking African countries, including Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Participants included attorneys, patent examiners, engineers and scientists from these countries.

As in Zimbabwe, Bob again believes he learned and gained as much as did the participants. In particular, the opportunity to engage with brilliant people with different perspectives on patent rights proved stimulating and enlightening. Moreover, the participants' commitment and drive to learn patent drafting to promote the commercial advantage of innovation from their countries proved very inspiring. Again, Bob felt highly honored to take part.

Ethiopia was intriguing. Though abject poverty is evident in the streets, it is balanced with business people in suits and dresses. Moreover, scientific and technical innovation exists in Ethiopia, as elsewhere. The association of Ethiopia with mass starvation is, at best, a very incomplete and unfortunate view of the country. With a history essentially free of European colonization, powerful emperors (Menelik and Haile Selassie) and an unfortunate stretch of communism in the '70's and '80's, along with the roots of humanity (such as "Lucy") and a culture that seems more closely tied to the Arab world than to African states to the south, Ethiopia is truly unique. Of course, I enjoyed the coffee, as well.

I make a presentation directed those in the fields of chemistry, materials and biology in this colorful room filled with Ethiopian art.

The participants are in groups drafting patent claims--I think I have them drafting claims directed to Velcro samples here.

We have each group generate a set of claims and then type them into the computers so that we can edit them via red-line.

Naveen shares some advice on claim drafting with one of the groups.

Most of the workshop participants (from Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and instructors.

Ethiopian IP Office officials, WIPO and ARIPO coordinators, and instructors

with Getachu (former EIPO director) and Yumiko (WIPO)

As usual, the streets to our conference center are closed. So we have to walk with the parade. I recall the US embassy travel advisories recommending that one stay away from such gatherings, so I try to move briskly.

On the final Thursday, we prepare for field trip to a local research center and the national museum.

Chifwayi, left, is always ready with a crazy tale.

Riding on the bus with ARIPO Examiner and good friend Emmanuel

We arrive at the Ethiopian Rural Energy Development and Promotion Center.

Emmanuel (Head of Search and Examination at the African Regional Intellectual Property Office) and I discuss patent policy.

The director of the center (right) shares her mission with Francoise.

Here we see a new design for an oven for baking injera (the bread on which all Ethiopian meals are served).

The streets are a dense, tangled mess of autos and pedestrians.

Obama is everywhere in Addis (posters, t-shirts, key chains, etc.)

My visit to the medical clinic for antibiotics and sinus medication at UN headquarters after catching some kind of nasty bacterial infection on flight over.

The thatched grass roof of the restaurant where we eat lunch catches fire.

Seemingly the entire staff joins in fighting the blaze.

Even the chef and waiters are up on the roof helping to fight the flames.

Just now getting the fire under control.

A traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony with the participants after lunch.

Security at the checkpoing for the Hilton is tight.

Ethiopian I.P. Office

Ethiopia's socialist/communist past is evident in its architure, leaving this building in which the Ethiopian IP Office is housed as the one of the city's more attractive.

On Saturday, we took a field trip and ended up at this lake.

The locals were doing their laundry. Some brave souls from our group board one of the tour boats. While they were out, the other tour boat capsized in the middle of the lake.

Not sure what that is--looks like a very furry donkey.

cattle

Surprised to see the bike of an apparent fan of the Arsenal football club of London.

From the lake, we eat lunch and stop in for a visit to see Francoise's friend Gloria (facing the camera and originally from Rwanda) and her lovely estate.

Gloria's home, built largely from bamboo, with the atrium in front.

Beehives for honey making.

I bought a table runner and matching napkins at St. George's gallery. Photo prints inside show Bill Clinton shopping here while visiting Addis.

The Ethiopian IP Office treated us to a night out at Yod Abysinia, an Ethiopian restaurant with traditional music and dancing.

video from Yod Abysinia, a restaurant in Addis Ababa with traditional music and dancing

Alemu (at right, Director of the Ethiopian IP Office) and colleagues share a large serving of injera.

I opt for the buffet, where I slop loads of mysterious though tasty entrees onto rolls of injera.

video from Yod Abysinia