About Me

Marisella Ouma is one of the leading Intellectual Property Law experts in Africa,  specialising in copyright and related rights,  enforcement, Intellectual Property and Trade, and Traditional knowledge. She also has a wealth of knowledge in Entertainment Law. She was the Executive Director of the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) from 2006 to 2015 which she helped establish. She has served on various Boards such as the Anti Counterfeit Agency and the Kenya Industrial Property Institute in Kenya.

She holds a Ph.D From Queen Mary, University of London, an LLM from Stockholm University and LLB from the University of Nairobi. She has also contributed to the development of various Intellectual Property Policies and laws in Kenya and within the region and was one of the main negotiators for the Africa Group  during the diplomatic conferences that led to the adoption of the WIPO Beijing and Marrakesh Treaties.

She was a visiting lecturer at the Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe, has taught at the University of Nairobi and  a member of the Advisory Committee CIPT. She has worked on various research projects such as ACA2K and Open A.I.R.  and has published several papers and book chapters on Copyright and related rights and traditional knowledge, Geographical Indications, Enforcement and IP Licensing and Franchising.