OAPI 

Regional Trademarks in Africa

Covers its member states' lack of national Intellectual Property laws, with automatic and unified protection

OAPI (African Intellectual Property Organization) encompasses the majority of African French speaking countries and was created March 2nd, 1977 with the Bangui Agreement with the goal of fostering cooperation between member-states and the sharing of common objectives in Intellectual Property matters. The most distinctive characteristic and advantage of OAPI is that a single trademark registration is automatically effective in all its member-states, without the possibility of designating only some countries. Member states do not have national Intellectual Property Laws.

The Bangui Agreement works as a common Intellectual Property Act, its provisions have the effect of national law in each member-state and no validation or extension is required. The organization is also a member of the Paris Union and the Madrid Protocol (although the latter is not yet effective).

OAPI Map

Browse countries that are part of OAPI

Trademark Registration

Process

Monitor the process from the preparation for the trademark application to its maintenance phase. Inventa will accompany you every step of the way.

Africa (OAPI)

Trademark Details and Timeframes

Priority claim

Available

Multi Class Application

Available

Well-known Trademarks

Available

Body responsible for non-use cancellations

Court

Search with legal opinion time frame

18 days

Time until registration

1 year

Opposition Period

180 days

Use requirement period

4 years

Requirements

  •  Power of attorney, simply signed.
  •  Applicant data.
  •  Sample of the mark (not required for word marks).
  •  List of goods and/or services.
  •  Certified copy of the priority document if claimed.
  •  Power of attorney, simply signed.
  •  Simple copy of Certificate of Registration.
  •  Power of attorney, simply signed.
  •  Deed of assignment, notarized.
  •  Power of attorney, simply signed.
  •  Certificate of change of address.
  •  Power of attorney, simply signed.
  •  Power of attorney from the licensor and licensee, simply signed.
  •  License agreement document signed by both parties, notarized..

African Focus

Trust our extensive experience in Africa

Taking this into account, we are pleased to present our "Trademarks in Africa" and new "Patents in Africa" Booklets. These booklets contain comprehensive information regarding trademarks and patents in each African Jurisdiction.

Why Inventa?

Global Network with a special focus in Africa

Through a network of local offices, including several locations in Africa, and an extensive network of associates, we are committed in delivering a global coverage with local experience.

Experience

With over 45 years of experience in Intellectual Property, Inventa has served thousands of clients, from small entrepreneurs and startups, to multinationals holding large trademark and patent portfolios, and other entities dealing with R&D on a daily basis. Furthermore, our experience allows us to understand the caveats of the different industries, since we maintain relationships with clients from different sectors, including food and beverages companies, communications, IT, pharmaceutical, manufacturers, oil & gas companies, financial institutions, business services companies and more.

Tech drive

Inventa recognizes that in this day and age, information management and the internet have taken over many aspects of business. To accompany the changing needs of our clients, over the last few years we have increased our activity in the area of technological infrastructures and information systems. In this way, Inventa seeks to respond to the different demands of both the market and its clients.

Global Network

Thanks to our large network of contacts and associate level, we offer our clients a vast team of highly-specialized professionals in the Intellectual Property field and related strategic sectors. Our professionals guarantee highly-personalized and efficient accompaniment of all our services.

Local Presence in Africa

African Countries present some of the greater challenges when it comes to protecting Intellectual Property. As such, local presence is paramount to attain a high standard of quality, similar to what can be practiced in other regions. Our local presence in Africa allows us to deal with the challenges presented to us, whether it’s red tape, instability, cultural differences or language barriers. The key to our success in Africa has been the training of local technical staff and their demonstrated enthusiasm for Intellectual Property.

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