Liberia Intellectual Property Office

11/09/2026

Breaking!!!

Pictorial marking the Phase 2 launch of the Intellectual Property Management Property Clinic, implemented by the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Management (WIPO), supporting 40 SMEs and startups across four counties.

The initiative provides guidance and practical support on intellectual property and business management.

11/09/2026

LIPO & WIPO Launch Phase II of IP Management Clinic for Startups and SMEs:

Today, the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), officially launched the second phase of the Intellectual Property Management Clinic (IPMC) for startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The launch was held at the LIPO Conference Hall on UN Drive, Monrovia.

Under this second phase, 40 selected startups and SMEs from Nimba, Montserrado, B**g, and Margibi Counties will benefit from intensive one-on-one, hands-on coaching delivered by four business and intellectual property experts.

The Clinic is designed to help participating businesses identify, protect, manage, and strategically leverage their intellectual property assets as part of their business growth and commercialization strategies.

Through this initiative, LIPO and WIPO continue to strengthen the capacity of Liberian entrepreneurs to transform innovation, creativity, brands, and other intangible assets into tools for sustainable business growth and competitiveness.

07/09/2026

📌 The list of Expired Trademarks volume No. 10 has been published. View and download it here:https://lipo.gov.lr/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/LIPO-Expired-Mark-Publication-10.pdf

Visit our official website at: www.lipo.gov.lr

05/09/2026

Happy Birthday to our distinguished Director General, Hon. Garmai Koboi! 🎂🎉

On this special day, we celebrate not only your birthday but also your leadership and the significant progress you have brought to Liberia’s intellectual property landscape since assuming office in 2024.

Under your leadership, the Liberia Intellectual Property Office has continued to gain greater visibility, strengthen public awareness of intellectual property rights, and advance efforts to promote innovation, creativity, and the protection of intellectual property in Liberia. Your commitment to institutional growth and reform continues to make a meaningful contribution to the country’s creative and innovation sectors.

We wish you a very happy birthday and many more years of good health, wisdom, success, and greater accomplishments. May this new chapter bring you more opportunities to lead, inspire, and make a lasting impact on Liberia and beyond.

Have a wonderful, memorable, and fulfilling birthday, DG! 🎊🥂

Happy Birthday, Hon. Garmai Koboi! and let the Lofa Palm W**e flow🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

21/08/2026

NAPUL Installs New Leadership as Hon. Clarence H Cole Calls for Greater Investment in Photography and Copyright

The National Photographers Union of Liberia (NAPUL) has inducted its newly elected leadership into office as the union celebrated its second leadership inaugural ceremony in observance of World Photography Day.

Serving as the installing officer, Hon. Clarence H. Cole, Deputy Director General for Copyright at the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) and Chairman of the Copyright Society of Liberia (COSOL) Advisory Board, congratulated the new leadership and challenged Liberian photographers to expand the scope and value of their work beyond traditional event photography.

Hon. Cole emphasized that photographers are creators whose work plays an important role in preserving Liberia's history, culture and identity.

He noted that photographs serve not only as visual memories but also as historical records that can tell powerful stories to future generations.

“Photographers as creators play an important role in the preservation of our culture and tell stories through their lenses,” Hon. Cole stated.

He encouraged members of NAPUL to move beyond predominantly providing “work-for-hire” services at ceremonies, graduations, weddings and birthdays and to increasingly explore investigative photography, documentary photography, current events, historical sites, landscapes and Liberia's wildlife and natural environment.

According to Hon. Cole, Liberia's photographers have an opportunity to document the country's transformation and preserve moments that may become invaluable historical records decades from now.

He further encouraged photographers to explore Liberia's historical sites, communities, cultural expressions and significant national moments, stressing that a photograph taken today could become an important source of knowledge for future generations.

“A photo taken today could tell a great story tomorrow for our next generation,” he noted.

Hon. Cole also used the occasion to educate photographers about the importance of copyright protection and commercialization of their creative works.

He explained that original photographs can be protected under copyright and encouraged photographers to register their works with LIPO to obtain appropriate documentation of their copyright.

He noted that photographs documenting important places, people, events and historical moments can potentially acquire significant cultural and commercial value over time, including opportunities for exhibition in museums, galleries and public events.

Beyond financial benefits, Hon. Cole stressed that documentary photography can give photographers a lasting place in Liberia's history.

Addressing the growing influence of artificial intelligence in the creative industries, Hon. Cole encouraged photographers not to be discouraged by the emergence of AI technologies.

He argued that authentic photographs created by photographers in real places and at real moments possess historical and documentary value that cannot simply be replicated by artificial intelligence.

He therefore urged photographers to take advantage of the present moment to document Liberia's people, culture, environment, historical landmarks and national developments.

He emphasized that raising the standard of photography in Liberia will require collaboration among photographers, government institutions, professional associations and other stakeholders, alongside continuous capacity building and greater unity within the sector.

Hon. Cole's role as Chairman of the COSOL Advisory Board also places him in a strategic position to support engagement between the copyright administration and creative communities.

NAPUL is among the stakeholders represented within the COSOL structure.

He assured the photographers that LIPO remains committed to supporting NAPUL's leadership, particularly through capacity-building initiatives focused on copyright registration, enforcement and commercialization of photographic works.

The ceremony brought together photographers, creative-sector stakeholders and supporters of the photography industry as NAPUL marked another milestone in its organizational development.

Hon. Cole concluded by congratulating the newly installed leadership and extending best wishes to photographers across Liberia as the country joined the global community in celebrating World Photography Day.

Happy World Photography Day to Liberia's photographers and visual storytellers. 📸🎥📷

20/08/2026

Breaking news!

The Government of Liberia, through the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) through its GROW-2 Project, has concluded the Business and Intellectual Property Management Clinic (BIPMC), with 39 businesses and cooperatives securing intellectual property protection following a month-long intervention targeting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across four counties.

The initiative, implemented from June 1–23, 2026, reached 142 entrepreneurs in Lofa, B**g, Nimba and Margibi Counties, providing practical training in intellectual property identification and protection, branding, business management, marketing and the strategic use of intellectual property assets to strengthen enterprise competitiveness.

LIPO, UNIDO Close Business Clinic as 39 Businesses, Cooperatives Receive IP Certificates Monrovia, Liberia – August 19, 2026 The Government of Liberia, through the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) throug...

11/08/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LIPO Awards Prize Money to Maretha, Other Schools

The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) has awarded Maretha International Preparatory High School US$1,000 for winning the national final of the WIPO-ARIPO Intellectual Property Club Competition and an additional US$700 for winning the regional final in Harare, Zimbabwe.

As the national champion, Maretha represented Liberia against schools from other African countries, including Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ghana, and won the regional championship in the process.

The competition is organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) to promote intellectual property awareness among secondary school students across Africa.

Participating students demonstrate their knowledge through quizzes, presentations, role-playing and practical exercises focused on copyright, trademarks, patents, creativity and innovation.

William V.S. Tubman High School and St. Theresa Convent Catholic High School also received monetary awards after finishing as first and second runners-up, respectively, in the national phase. Tubman High received US$700, while St. Theresa Convent received US$500. The total prize money disbursed included US$2,200 from the Government of Liberia and US$700 from WIPO, bringing the overall prize money to US$2,900.

According to the competition assessment data, the second edition of the IP Club program reached 360 students across 18 schools in Nimba, Montserrado and Grand Bassa counties, with female students accounting for 57.7 percent of participants (208 students) and male students accounting for 42.3 percent (152 students).

The data further showed that students aged 13 to 15 constituted the largest participant group, accounting for 48.8 percent (176 students), followed by those aged 16 to 18 at 33.7 percent (121 students) and those aged 0 to 12 at 17.5 percent (63 students). According to the release, the average proportion of students demonstrating an overall understanding of intellectual property rights increased from 22.9 percent (82 students) at baseline to 93.3 percent (336 students) at endline.

“These results show that the second edition of the IP Club Competition, implemented across 18 schools, achieved its overall objective of expanding access to intellectual property education among secondary school students,” LIPO Director General Hon. Garmai Koboi said. “The increase in student understanding confirms that consistent intellectual property education can produce measurable results. It also gives us a strong foundation for expanding the program to more schools and counties.”

Meanwhile, LIPO has announced that the call for applications for the third edition of the IP Club Competition will be issued soon, with the program set to expand to 36 schools across six counties and reach 720 students and 72 teachers, compared with 18 schools, 360 students and 36 teachers during the second edition.

Issued by Robin Dopoe
Communication and Outreach Officer

05/08/2026

LIPO & LNTA TO JOIN FORCES TO PROMOTE LIBERIA’S CREATIVITY, CULTURE AND TOURISM:

The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) and the Liberia National Tourism Authority (LNTA) have taken steps to strengthen inter-agency cooperation aimed at protecting and promoting Liberia’s intellectual property, cultural heritage and tourism assets.

During a consultative meeting held today, August 5, 2026, LIPO’s Director General Hon. Garmai Koboi and LNTA’s Director General Hon. Princess Cooper emphasized the importance of coordinated Government action to support creators, entrepreneurs and SMEs, while promoting Liberia’s unique cultural and creative assets.

A major area of discussion was the potential of Geographical Indications (GIs) and Traditional Knowledge (TK) to protect and promote Liberia’s distinctive products, traditions and cultural identity while creating opportunities for tourism and local economic development.

The two institutions agreed to work toward an MoU, undertake joint public awareness initiatives, collaborate on international legal instruments, and strengthen coordination on matters affecting intellectual property and the hospitality and tourism sectors.

The engagement reflects the Government of Liberia’s commitment to stronger institutional coordination and the effective protection and promotion of the country’s intellectual property, creative industries, cultural heritage and tourism sector.


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04/08/2026

LIPO Identifies with Families of Late Gospel Musicians Miracle Kettor and Atina Barclay

The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) has identified with the families of late gospel musicians Miracle Kettor and Atina Barclay, describing their deaths as major losses to Liberia’s gospel music community and the broader creative sector.

According to a LIPO statement, the Office has provided support to the bereaved families of both musicians to assist with funeral and burial arrangements.

Remembering Kettor and Barclay, LIPO Director General Hon. Garmai Koboi noted that the late artists used gospel music not only as a form of worship but also as a platform to encourage Liberians through messages of faith, hope and unity.

“Miracle Kettor and Atina Barclay used their voices and talents to inspire many Liberians and promote faith, hope and unity,” Madam Koboi said. “Their deaths are not only a loss to their families, but also to Liberia’s creative community. We stand with the families during this difficult period and pray that God will grant them strength and comfort.”

The Office also extended condolences to the relatives, colleagues, supporters and members of the Christian community affected by the deaths.

Kettor and Barclay were part of a generation of Liberian gospel artists who used music to connect with audiences beyond church congregations.

Their passing has prompted messages of sympathy from fellow musicians and listeners who say their work provided comfort, inspiration and hope.

26/07/2026

The Liberia Intellectual Property Office wishes all Liberians a happy 179th Independence Day.

As we celebrate our freedom, unity, and resilience, LIPO remains committed to protecting creativity and advancing innovation for national development.

Long live Liberia! 🇱🇷