Africa is one of the rapidly growing economic regions in the world. Its wide spectrum of cultural, ethnic, geographic, and economic differences has a great tradition of innovation and creativity. The importance of securing enforceable Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in Africa grows with economic growth. A major proportion of Africa's population now resides in cities with complete access to satellite television, internet, and social media, which implies brand exposure is now there as never before.
The African continent has 54 sovereign countries with even more than 1500 different languages and dialects spoken, which implies that the IP Rights and their enforcement differ from one country to another. So, let us now make ourselves familiar with the IP laws prevalent in different African countries and the two organizations, namely, OAPI, ARIPO to have adequate knowledge on the same before entering a market in Africa.
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Algeria
Opposition Term |
NA |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Algeria
-
Angola
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Angola
-
ARIPO
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
ARIPO
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Botswana
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Botswana
-
Burundi
Opposition Term |
30 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Burundi
-
Cape Verde
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Cape Verde
-
Dem. Rep. Congo
Opposition Term |
30 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Dem. Rep. Congo
-
Djibouti
Opposition Term |
NA |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Djibouti
-
Egypt
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Egypt
-
Eritrea
Opposition Term |
No Law |
First Renewal Term |
No Law |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
No Law |
Registration Term |
No Law |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
NA |
Visit
|
Eritrea
-
Ethiopia
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
07 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
07 Years |
Registration Term |
07 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Ethiopia
-
Gambia
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Gambia
-
Ghana
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Ghana
-
Kenya
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Kenya
-
Lesotho
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Lesotho
-
Liberia
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Liberia
-
Libya
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Libya
-
Madagascar
Opposition Term |
NA |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Madagascar
-
Malawi
Opposition Term |
30 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Malawi
-
Mauritius
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Mauritius
-
Morocco
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Morocco
-
Mozambique
Opposition Term |
30 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Mozambique
-
Namibia
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Namibia
-
Nigeria
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
14 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
14 years |
Registration Term |
07 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Nigeria
-
OAPI
Opposition Term |
180 Days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
OAPI
-
Rwanda
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Rwanda
-
Sao Tome & Principe
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent and Industrial Design |
Visit
|
Sao Tome & Principe
-
Seychelles
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
07 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
07 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent and Industrial Design |
Visit
|
Seychelles
-
Sierra Leone
Opposition Term |
NA |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Sierra Leone
-
Somaliland
Opposition Term |
No Law |
First Renewal Term |
No Law |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
No Law |
Registration Term |
No Law |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
NA |
Visit
|
Somaliland
-
South Africa
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent and Copyrights |
Visit
|
South Africa
-
Sudan
Opposition Term |
180 days - residents
240 days - non residents |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Sudan
-
Swaziland
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Swaziland
-
Tanzania-Mainland
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
07 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Tanzania-Mainland
-
Tanzania-Zanzibar
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
07 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
07 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Tanzania-Zanzibar
-
Tunisia
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Tunisia
-
Uganda
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
07 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Uganda
-
Zambia
Opposition Term |
90 days |
First Renewal Term |
14 years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
14 years |
Registration Term |
07 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Zambia
-
Zimbabwe
Opposition Term |
60 days |
First Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Subsequent Renewal Term |
10 Years |
Registration Term |
10 Years |
Types of IP Rights Protected |
Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design and Copyrights |
Visit
|
Zimbabwe