The African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) reported on 29 October that, on 26 October at the Ottawa headquarters of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), OAPI Director General Denis Bohoussou and CIPO President Konstantinos Georgaras signed the two offices' 2026-2027 annual work plan and officially launched the guide Protéger votre propriété intellectuelle dans l'espace OAPI (Protecting your intellectual property in the OAPI area).
Who the guide is for
According to OAPI, the guide is a practical information and awareness tool for innovators, researchers, creators, entrepreneurs, SMEs and project promoters who want to secure and exploit their IP in OAPI's 17 member states.
It explains the protection mechanisms available and the advantage of the OAPI system: uniform protection across the whole region through a single, simplified procedure.
At the time of writing, OAPI's report did not include the full text of the guide, and nothing in the announcement indicates any change to fees, scope of rights or filing procedures.
The 2026-2027 work plan
The new annual work plan expands joint activities for exchanging expertise and good practice, notably in fighting counterfeiting, protecting digital creations and promoting IP.
J&C notes that OAPI provides uniform protection in all 17 member states through a single procedure; businesses planning to enter these markets can check their filing strategy against the guide once its full text is available, and until then fees and procedures follow OAPI's current rules.
Source: oapi.int
