REGISTRATION AT AFRICAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION OAPI OF YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (TRADEMARKS, TRADE NAMES, INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS, ETC)
In view of protecting the intellectual property of investors in the market, it is advisable to clearly present to you the evolution of the procedure for the registration of an industrial property title as specified by the Bangui Accord.
First of all, the Bangui Accord stipulates that any person wishing to register his intellectual property rights with OAPI must request an anteriority search on the said title from the Organization; the purpose of this prior art search is to avoid the applicant applying for the registration of an intellectual property right that already exists at OAPI.
Subsequently, the intellectual property attorney that we are will follow up with an application for the registration of the said intellectual property right. The said application will be followed by the issue of a certificate of registration of the said IP rights, showing the name of the applicant and the registration number of the title in question, after 06 months as provided for in the Bangui Agreement. In practice, the period referred to above may be both shorter and longer than that provided for by law.
Finally, Counsel shall ensure the exploitation of the said IP rights in order to avoid its cancellation, cognisant of the fact that the non-use of an industrial property title for a period expressly provided for in each of the Annexes to the Bangui Agreement may constitute cancellation.
PROCEDURE RELATING TO THE REGISTRATION OF COMMERCIAL NAME
PROCEDURE FOR THE REGISTRATION OF A BRAND
