Organization and legal framework

The core legal framework of OAPI consists of:

• The Bangui Agreement (Accord de Bangui) and its 1999 revised version (in force since 2002);

• Annexes that cover patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright, geographical indications, new plant varieties and other rights.

Current member states (as of 2025):

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo and Comoros.

Administering authority:
OAPI – Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle
Headquarters: Yaoundé, Cameroon

System advantages and international integration

• A single application can result in unitary protection in 17 member states;

• OAPI member states no longer maintain separate national IP offices;

• Connected to WIPO–OAPI data platforms (Madrid Monitor, Patentscope) for data exchange and transparency;

• Technical cooperation and data sharing with EUIPO, EPO and ARIPO;

• In 2022, OAPI released its “OAPI 2030 Strategy”, aiming at full digitalization and regionally integrated examination across the system.

Trademark system

Filing routes

• File directly with the OAPI headquarters (member states do not maintain national registries);

• Or designate OAPI via the Madrid System (Madrid Protocol).

Classification standard

• Applies the Nice Classification;

• Single-class and multi-class applications are both possible.

Examination procedure

• Formality examination: about 1–2 months;

• Substantive examination: about 6–8 months;

• Opposition period: 3 months during which oppositions may be filed.

Use and renewal

• Registration term: 10 years, renewable indefinitely;

• A continuous period of 5 years of non-use may lead to cancellation.

Examination features

• Examination language: French;

• Focuses on distinctiveness and conflicts with earlier rights;

• After registration, the trademark takes effect simultaneously in 17 member states.

Patent system

Types and terms of protection

• Invention patent (Brevet d’Invention): 20 years from the filing date;

• Utility model (Modèle d’Utilité): 10 years from the filing date.

Examination mechanism

• Invention patents are subject to a substantive examination system;

• A request for examination must be filed within 3 years from the filing date;

• Average examination period is about 24–36 months.

International routes

• OAPI is a PCT member organization (since 1978);

• PCT international applications may enter the OAPI regional phase;

• Once granted, patents take effect simultaneously in all member states.

System features

• Examination language: French;

• A single application can secure protection in 17 countries;

• After grant, annual fees must be paid to maintain the patent;

• Technical documents must comply with French-language requirements;

• Official database: OAPI Patents Register.

Design protection

Legal basis

• Annex V of the Bangui Agreement (Annex V).

Scope of protection

• The external appearance of a product, including shape, patterns, colours and ornamentation;

• Applies to both industrial and handicraft products.

Term of protection

• Protected for 5 years from the filing date and renewable four times for further periods of five years each, up to a maximum of 25 years in total.

Examination procedure

• Examination period is about 6–9 months;

• Examination language: French;

• Only a formality examination is carried out; there is no assessment of creativity.

System features

• After registration, the design takes effect simultaneously in 17 member states;

• Supports multiple designs in a single application;

• Since 2014, international design applications can be filed via the Hague Agreement designating OAPI;

• Official online system: OAPI Online Services / Designs Portal.