4Afrika, a Microsft South Africa initiative, and the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) have partnered to develop a prototype system that will ease intellectual property (IP) registration in the East African nation.

In a statement the software company urged musicians, innovators, developers, artists and creators to try out a new automated online registration system.

The new automated system is looking to replace the current manual process of registering IP in Kenya, which involves downloading registration forms, paying a fee via M-Pesa and submitting the forms at the KECOBO offices, says the statement.

“We have been working closely with the Microsoft 4Afrika IP Hub to develop an online system that makes registering IP faster and more accessible,” explained Dr. Marisella Ouma, executive director at KECOBO.

“In our efforts to invest in and scale up the system, we are encouraging innovators of all works to test the new online system and provide email feedback on their user experience through registrations@copyright.go.ke,” said Ouma.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), between 2009 and 2012 only 123 patents were filed in Kenya, compared to 268,000 in the United States.

Louis Otieno, director of legal and corporate affairs at Microsoft 4Afrika said, “Together with KECOBO, we’re now moving to the next step to create a system where users, after learning about how to protect their IP, can easily go online, register their work and receive the necessary legal documents.”

The system will be finalised and made available to all Kenyans, through the country wide Huduma Centres, and the registration will require a fee of around Ksh1,000.