OAPI (AIPO) is a business association established by the French-speaking African countries in the field of industrial property. The African Union is a system for realizing trademark registrations with a single application within the OAPI countries.
In these countries, trademark law is considered as a single state, which means, it is not possible to obtain a national trademark right in these countries.
Legal Ground
It is the 1977 Bangui and the 1962 Libreville Treaty. The existing trademark registration applies to the new member states.
The Application Process
A trademark is registered within 10 to 12 months after the application is made.
The Appeal Process
The trademark may be appealed within 6 months from the publication of the application.
Trademark Registration Term
The trademark registration term is 10 years. At the end of the 10-year period, the right to extend this period belongs to the owner of the trademark.
Additional Time for Trademark Renewal
There is an additional 6-month period for the extension after the end of the trademark registration term.
Obligation to Use the Trademark
It is obligatory for a trademark to be used in the commercial area within 5 years after the application for registration has been made. The third party may cancel the trademark upon appeal when this period of 5 years is over. In addition, when a trademark is used in any of the member states, it is considered to have been used in all the member states.
Benefits are:
- Registration in multiple countries with a single application
- A convenient price
- Single language use
- Single currency
Member States
- Benin
- Burkina Fasso
- Chad
- Equatorial Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bisseau
- Cameroon
- Congo
- Mali
- Nigeria
- Mauritania
- Central African Republic
- Senegal
- Togo