OAPI

On 3 April 2025, kovié rice, hailing from the Kovié region, became Togo’s first Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). This PGI designation, granted by OAPI, will serve to ensure the quality of goods bearing the name kovié rice, fondly known as Kovié molou to locals. Kovié rice is known for its distinct aroma and ancestral cultivation […]

Strengthening the international legal framework for these safeguards was the main goal of the sixth session of the Working Group on the Legal Development of the Lisbon System, which was held at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland between 17 to 20 March 2025. The Lisbon System provides international protection for […]

About thirty people participated in an expert-led workshop, which was conducted both in-person and virtually, to discuss the nuances and complexity of the Nice and OAPI trademark classification system, and best practice. The key takeaway was the importance of carefully selecting the appropriate class of goods and services when registering trade marks to ensure legal protection […]

On 24 January 2025, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) welcomed new students to its prestigious master’s degree in Intellectual Property offered at the University of Yaoundé II and the Denis Ekani Academy of Intellectual Property (APIDE). Students previously enrolled in the programme received online lectures from experts of the European Union Intellectual Property Office […]

As part of the implementation of Annex I of the revised Bangui Agreement, OAPI has published new official fees which apply to all patent and utility model applications fled after 1 January 2025. This development follows previous updates OAPI – Training of patent examiners – Adams & Adams announcing OAPI’s intention to introduce substantive examination […]

OAPI brought together over thirty national decision makers and key role players from the agricultural sector at a national workshop held from 4 to 6 November 2024 in N’Djamena, Chad. Aimed at establishing guidelines for the creation, protection and enhancement of new plant varieties in Chad, the workshop was opened by the Chadian Minister of […]

From 11 November 2024 to 22 November 2024 the WIPO Diplomatic Conference took place in Riyadh, with the focus being the adoption of the Design Law Treaty (DLT). Over 1000 delegates from across the world met with the view of implementing this ambitious project aimed at simplifying and harmonising the enforcement of design protection across […]

On 2 October 2024, amidst the Francophonie summit, the Alliance Francophone pour la Propriété Intellectuelle was launched in France, and attended by many institutions, including the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI). The intended purpose of the Alliance Francophone pour la Propriété Intellectuelle is to enhance and promote the French language as a working language in […]

The OAPI 2023-2027 Strategic Plan emphasises the organisation’s resolve to prioritise the establishment, development and protection of Geographical Indications for products originating from OAPI member states. Since the adoption of this strategic resolution, there has indeed been a rise in reports of geographical indication (“GI”) registrations granted for several products from OAPI member states. Amongst […]

On 2 and 3 May 2024, the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Exchange Zone (ZLECAF) visited OAPI’s offices in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The meeting between Mr. Desire Loumou, Head of the Intellectual Property Rights Division and Fikremarkos Merso, expert in Intellectual Property rights and the General Management of OAPI, was to facilitate initiating constructive dialogues […]

From 13 to 16 May 2024, five trade mark examiners from OAPI participated in a four-day workshop with EUIPO examiners at EUIPO’s offices in Alicante, Spain. The workshop is part of a project with the aim of lending‘Support to the OAPI capacity building programme for trade mark and design examiners at the EUIPO on substantive […]

On 3 and 4 June 2024, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr Daren Tang, made a historic visit to the OAPI offices in Cameroon, for the‘WIPO Conference with the Heads of National Intellectual Property Structures of OAPI Member States’. On the first day of the conference there was a ministerial […]

The OAPI Registry has confirmed the implementation of its e-filing system, which will commence on 3 June 2024. As part of the Registry’s change management objectives, the Registrar has organized a series of virtual meetings to ensure all accredited agents receive adequate training on the new system and processes. The e-filing system will be implemented […]

In April 2024, OAPI and its partners recently held a symposium in Douala, Cameroon, under the theme “Geographical Indications in Africa: current situation and development prospects”. This meeting brought together various stakeholders from the global GI promotion ecosystem, having a particular focus on Africa. A Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign identifying goods as originating […]

On 1 March 2024, OAPI’s Director General, Mr Denis Bohoussou, met with the new deputy project manager of the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI), Mr Carlos Satorre, marking the beginning of a collaborative effort between the European Union and Africa to boost intra- African trade and facilitate investments for economic growth and […]

On Friday, February 2, 2024, Mr. Denis BOHOUSSOU, Director General of OAPI, welcomed a delegation from the Heads of the “Health and Globalization, Standards, Policies, Market” Chair at the University of Yaoundé II. As part of OAPI’s initiatives to foster an IP-driven economy and focus on research, innovation, and development, collaboration between relevant institutions is […]

Cameroon recently hosted a regional workshop for the advancement of cultural content exploitation strategies in OAPI member states.‎ OAPI and AfrIPI strategize content exploitation during workshop in Cameroon A three-day workshop held in Douala, Cameroon, from 18-20 December 2023, facilitated by OAPI and the Intellectual Property Rights for Africa (AfrIPI) project, focused on harmonizing strategies […]

The 63rd OAPI Administrative Council Session was recently held in Burkina Faso, where 17 ministers from member states gathered to review OAPI’s performance, financial matters, and plans for fostering innovation and intellectual property. Insights from the 63rd OAPI Administrative Council Session in Burkina Faso The 63rd session of the OAPI Administrative Council was held on […]

OAPI in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) project and the Project to Support the Implementation of Geographical Indications (GI) in OAPI Member States (PAMPIG2) recently hosted a regional workshop in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé. The three-day event focused on the “Management of Geographical Indications in the OAPI area: Current […]

On 13 October 2023, the 18th Joint Commission on Industrial Property between OAPI and the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) from France, took place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The discussions, which were led by Directors General, Denis BOHOUSSOU of OAPI and Pascal FAURE of INPI, focused on strengthening the training between the two offices […]

OAPI held a seminar on the protection and development of traditional medicine on 5 October 2023. The seminar focused on the progress made to date regarding the implementation of the reference framework material for the protection of African inventions in the field of medicines, in the OAPI Member States. The various panellists discussed issues regarding […]

The African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) celebrated the 24th African Technology and Intellectual Property Day on 13 September 2023, under the theme ‘Intellectual Property: Business Competitiveness Challenges’. Stakeholders, such as the member states, used the event as an opportunity to discuss and devise solutions to challenges that their economies are facing. Commemorating the day, Togo’s […]

A cooperation agreement between OAPI and the Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI) was signed on 31 May 2023. This reflects a renewal of the collaboration between these institutions, with a view to addressing current issues faced by OAPI. Current issues that OAPI would like to see addressed include the construction of an intellectual […]

Between the dates of 22 – 26 May 2023 a mission took place in Friguiagbé, Kindia being the geographical area of the Baroness of Guinea. As part of the second phase of the PAMPIG II, a Support Project for the Implementation of Geographical Indications, Baroness from Guinea is one of the products that will enjoy […]

Following the instatement of the new Deputy Director General of OAPI, he and the Director General went on a diplomatic tour to the embassies and consulates of the OAPI member states. Instatement and Diplomatic Tour of the Deputy Director General On 11 January 2023, the recently appointed Deputy Director General of OAPI, Mr. Oualou Panouala, […]

An evaluation mission of the French Development Agency (AFD) was recently in Cameroon to attend to field trips and various meetings with, inter alia, cocoa producers, as part of the second phase of the Support Project for the Implementation of Geographical Indicators (PAMPIG II). The second phase of PAMPIG II will, when completed, see the […]

On 15 December 2022, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) acceded to The Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications taking the total number of countries covered by the Lisbon system to 70. Furthermore, all 17 member states of OAPI are covered by the system: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, […]

The OAPI office has confirmed that the 12th edition of the Nice Classification system will be applicable to all trade mark filings, including international filings through the Madrid system, from 1 January 2023. Trade marks which are filed after this date using older editions of the Nice Classification system, will not be accepted, unless the goods/services […]

The signing of accreditation agreements for three new research centers took place during the closing ceremony of the OAPI regional workshop on the development of seed. The director general of OAPI, Denis BOHOUSSOU, has initialled the relevant paperwork with the leaders of each of the following three centers: the CNRA in Côte d’Ivoire INERA in […]

On 13 September 2022 OAPI celebrated the Africa Technology and Intellectual Property Day, under the theme “Intellectual Property: Harnessing Industrialization and Economic Diversification in Africa”. The aim of celebrating the day was to shine a light on the policies, strategies and practices involving intellectual property and technology in the African economy. The Minister of International […]

On 31 August 2022, OIPI hosted a workshop on the role of intellectual property in graphic design, for the stakeholders in the industry. The objective of the workshop was to, amongst others, bring awareness and highlight the significance of intellectual property in the field of graphic design, and provide the participants with the relevant information […]

In cooperation with the European Patent Office (EPO) and the AfrIPI project, participants of the OAPI Distance Training for Patent Examiners began their second training session on 7 June 2022. The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of patent examiners to substantively exam patent applications and utility models. Substantive examination is scheduled to begin in […]

The Board of Directors of OAPI have granted a second and final term to Director-General Denis Bohoussou Loukou as the head of OAPI.  His first term of office ended in a crisis with his suspension on 14 October 2021 by the President of the Board of Directors, Beninese Alimatou Shadiya Assouman, on the grounds of […]

A ceremony to launch the third series of round tables on the establishment of collaborative work platforms between universities and research centers in OAPI member states was held on 16 June 2022. The project aims to identify specific avenues and themes for the creation and improvement of national innovation frameworks between the private and research […]

The opening ceremony of the Abidjan Ministerial Conference on Geographical Indications was held on 3 June 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and was attended by the Ministers of the 17 member states of OAPI, the Diplomatic Corps, the Director General of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of France, and the Deputy Director General […]

The Board of Directors authorised the launch of a recruitment procedure for a new CEO, subsequent to the dismissal, with immediate effect, of the Deputy Director General (DGA) of OAPI, Mr Jean-Baptiste Noël Wago on 13 May 2022. This is unfortunately a further difficulty with top management as the CEO, Ivorian Denis Bohoussou Loukou, was […]

A Delegation from OAPI visited Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso on 13 May 2022 as part of the 8th extraordinary session of the Board of Directors of OAPI to meet with the prime minister, Mr Albert Ouédraogo. The aim of the meeting was to obtain the support of the Burkinabe government during what appears to be […]

A delegation from ARIPO, led by the Director General, Mr. Bemanya Twebaze, visited the OAPI headquarters in Yahounde from 16 to 18 May 2022.  The Director General of OAPI, Mr Denis Bohoussou, hosted the delegation for discussions on intellectual property issues as part of the work of the 6th joint commission between the two institutions. […]

The Saponé Hat, dating back to the 13th‎‎ century, is produced by Burkino Faso’s Saponé community and is integrated as part of their cultural and historical identity.‎ On 12 April 2022, the Saponé community received certification for the hat as a protected geographical indication. The registration certificate was handed to the local authorities of the […]

Certain class headings under the International Classification of the NICE Agreement will no longer be accepted by OAPI[1] On 28 February 2022, the Director General of the Organisation Africaine de la Propriete Intellectuelle (“OAPI”) issued a Circular Notice informing all users of its systems that with effect from 01 January 2022, certain class headings, which […]

OAPI has recently uploaded, onto its LinkedIn page, five (5) videos of the Director General (“DG”), Mr Denis Bohoussou, addressing the media and agents on a number of issues[1]. Most importantly the Director General stated that all registration certificates which were signed by the Assistant Director-General during the period of the suspension of the DG […]

Trade marks On 28 February 2022, the OAPI IP Office issued a notice informing that the Registry requires trade mark specifications of goods and services to contain clear and precise descriptions. As a general rule, trade mark applicants are discouraged from using the general class headings utilized in the Nice Classification system, unless in circumstances […]

On 28 October 2021, ARIPO (The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation), OAPI (African Intellectual Property Organisation) and WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organisation) held a meeting (virtually) to relaunch the Nairobi Strategic Plan on the development of Copyright and Related Rights in Africa (“the NSP”). The NSP was adopted initially in June 2019, resulting from […]

From 15 November 2021 – 26 November 2021, OAPI, in conjunction with the French Development Agency and the Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development, is presenting the Second Edition of the African Training on Geographical Indications. Registration for the course closes on 20 October 2021 and further information regarding the course may […]

On 12 October 2021[1], the regional conference on intellectual property was opened in Libreville.  The purpose of this conference is to discuss the challenges and unique perspectives relating to trade in Africa and in the African Continental Free Trade Area.  During the 2-day conference, the potential of a free trade area, the importance of intellectual […]

On 2 January 2022, Annexes III, IV and V of the revised Bangui Agreement entered into force, introducing significant changes to the trade mark registration process in OAPI, and changes affecting the registration of trade names, and industrial designs.  No changes have been promulgated in respect of patents under the revised Bangui Agreement yet, although […]

The COVID19 pandemic has impacted quite dramatically on the operations IP and other government offices in Africa and the rest of the world. Most Trade Marks Registries that have suffered intermittent closures and other interruptions due to national lockdowns or COVID-19 protocols have made provision for the extension of procedural deadlines on pending cases to […]