Getachew Mengistie Alemu

Getachew Mengistie Alemu's picture
Getachew Mengistie Alemu's picture Intellectual Property Consultant and Attorney; Getachew and Associates Law Office; 2006 Yale World Fellow

Getachew Mengistie Alemu studied law and earned a Bachelor’s degree of law from Addis Ababa University in 1986 and a Master of Law Degree from University of London in 1990. His post graduate study focused on intellectual property, technology transfer and related laws. He was the driving force in the establishment and implementation of  the Intellectual Property system in Ethiopia. He drafted most of the present intellectual property laws of Ethiopia and headed  the  Ethiopian Intellectual Property office as its first Director General until August 2008. He taught introduction to patent and technology transfer and intellectual property law courses, as a part time instructor, to under graduate and post graduate students of the law school of Addis Ababa University for more than twelve years. Since leaving government office, he has been serving as an IP consultant and attorney and involved in a number of projects supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization, European Union and other International organizations and donor agencies aiming at strengthening the intellectual property systems and promoting the use of intellectual property as a tool for development in African countries. He had authored or co-authored a number of works on issues related to intellectual property, access to genetic resources and other areas, which are published in books, international journals and workshop proceedings. He is a frequent speaker on topics relating to intellectual property policy and strategy and the role of intellectual property in socio-economic development.