12th edition of the Nice Classification applicable from January 2023
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 remain classified in the same classes as the new version. In the event that an application is rejected based on the version of the Nice Classification used, the applicant will be afforded an opportunity to reclassify. In this regard, the applicant will be afforded an opportunity to add a new class, where it might be required.
Togo registers kovié rice as its first Protected Geographical Indication
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 ...
May 14 2025
OAPI Participates in the Sixth Session of the Working Group on the Lisbon System
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 Wo...
April 16 2025
OAPI and INTA Collaborate on Trade Mark Classification System
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 syste...
April 15 2025