Getachew Mengistie is an intellectual Property consultant and attorney based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, who has been engaged in private practice since August 2008. Before that, he served as the first Director General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office. He was the driving force in developing the Ethiopia’s intellectual property system and promoting the use of intellectual property as a policy tool for development.
Mr. Mengistie has successfully implemented or contributed in the implementation of a number of projects supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the 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.
Mr. Mengistie 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 related to intellectual property in national, sub-regional, regional, interregional and international forum.