Date of publication:
01/08/2026
United Republic of Tanzania (the)
Do domestic laws and policies protect intellectual property rights for forcibly displaced and stateless persons?
Assessment by population
Analysis
Tanzania has developed a relatively comprehensive legal framework for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs), covering areas such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, and trade secrets. The primary legislation includes the Patents (Registration) Act, the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, the Trade and Service Marks Act, and the Fair Competition Act, among others. These laws are administered by institutions such as the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) and the Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA).
The legal framework is designed to safeguard the creations, inventions, and innovations of individuals and entities, both domestic and foreign, thereby promoting an environment that encourages creativity, technological advancement, and economic growth. Tanzania is also a signatory to key international treaties and conventions related to intellectual property, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which further strengthens its commitment to IP protection.
In practice, while enforcement and awareness remain developing areas, the legal infrastructure provides a foundation for the registration and protection of intellectual property, contributing to a growing culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, music, and digital technology.
Related provisions of domestic law or policy
Patents Act
- Year: 1987
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Housing, land & property
- Link to external source: https://wipolex-res.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/tz/tz001en.pdf
Legal provision
Section 8 - Patentable Inventions
An invention is patentable if it is new, involves an inventive step and is industrially applicable.
Section 35 - Rights of Owner of Patent
The owner of a patent shall have the right to prevent third parties from performing, without his authorization, the acts of making, using, offering for sale, selling or importing the patented product.
Trade and Service Marks Act
- Year: 1986
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Housing, land & property, Work & Workplace rights
- Link to external source: https://tanzlii.org/akn/tz/act/1986/12/eng@2002-07-31/source
Legal provision
Section 18 - Rights Conferred by Registration
The registration of a trade or service mark shall, if valid, give or be deemed to have given to the registered proprietor the exclusive right to the use of the trade or service mark in relation to any goods or services.
Copyright and Neighboring Rights Act
- Year: 1999
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Housing, land & property
- Link to external source: http://parliament.go.tz/polis/uploads/bills/acts/1457511754-ActNo-7-1999.pdf
Legal provision
Section 9 - Rights of Authors
The author of a work shall have the exclusive right to do or authorize the doing of any of the following acts in relation to the work: (a) reproduction; (b) distribution; (c) rental; (d) public exhibition; (e) translation; (f) adaptation; (g) public performance; (h) importation.
Section 5 - Works Eligible for Copyright
The following shall be protected as copyright works: (a) literary works; (b) artistic works; (c) musical works; (d) audiovisual works; (e) sound recordings; (f) broadcasts.