Course description

This hands-on course — An Innovator’s Guide to Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Commercialization in Kenya — gives inventors, founders, researchers and creative entrepreneurs the legal literacy and commercial tools to convert ideas into protected, valuable assets.

We cover the full IP lifecycle in Kenya: how to spot protectable IP, routes for patents, designs, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets, practical filing workflows, enforcement and cost-effective strategies for small teams. Because IP rarely stops at one border, the course adds two full comparative modules: one that reviews notable African jurisdictions (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania and others) and one that explains global/international systems and treaties (TRIPS, WIPO instruments, PCT, Madrid, Berne and practical cross-border strategies).

Learning is practical and action-oriented: each module includes checklists, templates (NDA, confidentiality policies, IP audit form, provisional patent outline, licensing term sheet), short case studies and a capstone commercialization plan. By the end learners will be able to draft an IP strategy for a product or creative work, choose cost-efficient protection routes for Kenya and beyond, and outline commercialization paths (licensing, spinout, joint venture, open strategy).

Who this course is for

• Innovators, founders and startup teams based in Kenya or doing business in Kenya

• University researchers and tech transfer officers

• Creative professionals and SMEs seeking to commercialize IP

• Non-lawyers who need practical IP skills (entrepreneurs, product managers)

• Legal professionals wanting an applied Kenya-focused refresh

What will i learn?

• Identify and classify all major forms of IP in the context of a Kenyan innovation or creative work.
• Conduct a basic prior art / novelty search and document the search results with a standardized worksheet.
• Draft an actionable provisional patent application outline and a basic trademark application specimen.
• Prepare enforceable NDAs and employment/contractor IP assignment clauses suitable for Kenyan use.
• Build an IP protection roadmap recommending Kenya, regional and international filing strategies.
• Design a commercialization route (licensing, sale, spin-out or open model) and draft a term sheet for a simple licensing deal.
• Evaluate enforcement options in Kenya and prepare a low-cost enforcement action plan.
• Compare IP rules and practical filing differences across selected African countries and international systems and incorporate that into cross-border strategy.

Frequently asked question