REGISTER YOUR TRADEMARK WITHIN OAPI WITH ALF
What is the African Intellectual Property Organization?
The African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) is an intergovernmental organization that ensures the uniform protection of intellectual property rights in its 17 member states in French-speaking Africa.
Which are the 17 OAPI member states?
The 17 OAPI member states are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, CĂ´te d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
It is not possible to register a trademark nationally within one of the member countries. Only deposits within the 17 countries are possible.
Why is it important to register your trademark with OAPI?
4 essential reasons to protect your trademark at OAPI :
-
Exclusive rights: protecting a trademark gives you exclusive rights to use it, and absolute ownership of it.
-
Protection against unfair competition: registering a trademark prevents a third party from using it without your consent, and allows you to take legal action for infringement.
-
Establishing brand awareness: protecting your brand helps you build a strong image and raise the profile of your startup. This makes it easier for customers to identify your products and services and develop a relationship of trust with your company.
- Make it easier to expand your business: by protecting your trademark, you can avoid costly legal disputes, making it easier to expand your business into new markets or new products.
Who can register a trademark with OAPI?
If you are physically located within an OAPI member territory, you can carry out this procedure yourself or appoint an agent to carry out all the filing formalities. On the other hand, if you are domiciled outside the OAPI, you must file your trademark directly with the OAPI through an agent chosen in one of these countries.
Why register your trademark with African Legal Factory?
Protecting your brand and your intellectual property with African Legal Factory means benefiting from a solution focused on :
- Simplicity. Our support solution enables you to register your trademark 100% online, by completing a simple form in 2 minutes.
- Speed. Once we have received your application and trademark details, we will physically file your trademark application within 48 hours. Then, for the duration of the procedure (approx 6 months), you will receive all the documents you need to know the progress of your case.
- Tranquility. Finding the right class in which to register a trademark can be complicated when you’re not familiar with intellectual property law. An error in the form may mean that your trademark is only partially protected. Our lawyers will take care of completing the entire file and filing it on your behalf, so that you can concentrate on your business.
- Accessibility. We offer you support at a price affordable to entrepreneurs, because we believe that the law should be accessible to all.
How do I register a trademark with ALF?
Registering your trademark with ALF has never been easier.
Register your trademark in the blink of an eye!
- Step 1: Complete the form below;
- Step 2: The ALF team gets back to me with my quote;
- Step 3: I pay my fees online ;
- Step 4: ALF completes all the documents and submits my file to OAPI within 48 hours of receiving the complete file;
- Step 5: ALF informs me in real time of the various stages involved in registering my trademark until I obtain the registration certificate.
They registered their trademark with African Legal Factory
Catherine Bationo - One Beer Product Manager 🇫🇷
"We chose African Legal Factory to help us register our OAPI trademark in Mauritius, South Africa and Nigeria. Throughout the procedure, we had a dynamic, attentive team at our side, whose professionalism shone through and who put our company's interests first. We are very satisfied with ALF's services, which continue to support us to this day for our next trademark registrations in Asia and South-East Asia."
Omar Sefani - CEO of SOBRUS 🇲🇦
"I was delighted to work with Sonia and her team to protect our Sobrus trademark at the OAPI! In addition to the meticulous follow-up of the formalities, Sonia provides us with quality advice and with great responsiveness. I recommend her without hesitation."
FAQ - The questions you need to ask before taking the plunge
Request a quote and receive it immediately!
How can I get a quote?
- Complete the form at the bottom of the page
- You will receive a questionnaire to complete
- Receive your quote in less than 48 hours
How much does it cost to register a black and white logo with OAPI?
Administrative fees for the registration of a trademark, in black and white or color, for a single class of goods or services, is 360,000 FCFA or 548 euros (see the complete list of applicable fees on the OAPI website.)
Our fee for completing all the forms and following the procedure for 6 months is 158,797 FCFA or 242 euros.
