1、 Introduction to African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) Trademarks

1. The African Intellectual Property Organization is a regional alliance composed of French speaking countries in former French colonies to protect intellectual property rights. Compared with other organizations in the world that protect intellectual property rights, it has a separate legal system to protect the trademarks of its member countries, and its member countries are fully bound by the organization in the field of trademarks, without their own independent trademark systems. OAPI has established a unified intellectual property office in Yaound é, Cameroon to manage trademark affairs in various member countries.

2. List of member states (currently 16 countries): Cameroon, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, C ô te d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Equatorial Guinea.

3. OAPI organization trademark registration adopts international classification, and each application can be classified into one standard and three categories. Trademark protection can be obtained by applying for trademarks through the Kaide Alliance intellectual property agency, or by applying for registration with the African Intellectual Property Organization on a country by country basis for brand trademark protection.

2、 Required documents for application

1. Apply as a legal entity, with one copy of the Business License or valid registration certificate stamped with the official seal; Apply as a natural person with one copy of personal identification document attached;

2. The applicant's detailed information (in both Chinese and English), including name or title, nature, nationality, as well as detailed address, postal code, and contact information;

3. Electronic trademark samples;

4. Product name and category;

5. The power of attorney document can be signed without the need for public authentication procedures.

3、 Trademark application registration

1. Applicant qualifications: Anyone with a legitimate interest in the applied trademark can apply for trademark registration, including domestic and foreign legal persons, natural persons, and social organizations.

2. Application process (smooth progress):

(1) Formal examination: the legality examination of the submitted application documents, trademark designs, power of attorney and other documents after the application is submitted; Those who meet the requirements will be granted the application date and application number.

(2) Substantive examination: Based on the law, examine whether the trademark has registrability, whether it is the same or similar to a previously registered trademark, and whether it violates the prohibition clause of the Trademark Law. For trademarks that fail substantive examination, the examiner will notify the applicant in writing and inform them of the reasons for rejection. The applicant may submit a re examination within the time limit from the date of receiving the rejection notice,

(3) Announcement: After examination, the examiner considers that the trademark application can be accepted and will publish an announcement in the official trademark announcement. The objection period is 6 months from the date of announcement.

(4) Registration approval: Trademarks that have been ruled to be eligible for registration after opposition, or trademarks that have been published without opposition, will be approved for registration and a registration certificate will be issued. The entire smooth application process (if there are no rejections, objections, etc.) will take approximately 12-15 months.

3. Validity period: 10 years from the date of application. If the registration needs to be continued after the expiration of the validity period, an application for renewal of registration should be made 6 days before the expiration of the registration, and each renewal of registration is valid for 10 years. Although the OAPI organization implements the first to apply principle, applicants usually need to use the trademark in any member country before they can receive effective protection. If a trademark is to be renewed, proof of use in any member state must be submitted.