Securitisation of Intellectual Property Rights in Zimbabwe Through the Movable Property Security Interests Act

Abstract

This article discusses intellectual property movable security in the African context. It notes that securitisation of movable property in the African context is a recent development spurred by the establishment of a soft law on the subject by the United Nations. This international soft law has seen a number of African countries setting legal frameworks that accepts the use of movable property including intellectual property rights as security for credit in the formal market. This development has a serious impact on the ease of doing business for individuals and small businesses who otherwise lack immovable property to use as security. Despite the setting up of the statutory regimes that accepts the use of movable property as security some challenges are noted in the way some of the laws have been crafted in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. As a result recommendations to tighten and close the gaps in in the Zimbabwean law context are made.