Since 2021, AfrIPI has contributed to training over a hundred students of the OAPI Masters’ Programme in IP. The Master’s programme, which is in its 12th edition, is jointly delivered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the OAPI and is hosted by the University of Yaoundé II. The Master’s programme is sponsored by the Government of Japan through the Japanese Patent Office.
It is crucial to strengthen and improve the copyright and related rights environment for the development of a cultural industry, especially a digital one, on the African continent. Several parties at various levels are involved in its implementation: States, regional economic organisations, intellectual property organisations, NGOs, collective management organisations, and rights holders.
The goal of the workshop is to come to an understanding on a coordinated and unified strategy for exploiting cultural content in the digital context among OAPI Member States.
Access to quality seeds and plant varieties for OAPI Member States is a major issue for all their populations, as these constitute the basis of plant production. To meet this challenge, it is necessary to provide them with suitable plant material through an effective plant variety protection system.
AfrIPI will provide technical support for capacity building to four examination centres in collaboration with the Community Plant Variety Office.
The first workshop for magistrates from OAPI Member States was organised by AfrIPI in 2021, with a focus on the Bangui Agreement and problems with IP litigation in national courts.
In 2022, the Association of Judges for OAPI Member States was formally established by AfrIPI, and a bureau was chosen to manage the organisation's affairs. This organisation will act as a potent professional institution for promoting and enforcing intellectual property law in the OAPI region.
OAPI has been examining trade mark and industrial design applications on substance since January 2022. Before being granted, applications for registration in the OAPI region must now be published.
This activity is a continuation of Activity 7 of the AWP 2.
The activity aims to bring together key North African IP rights policymakers, enforcement authorities, IP offices and stakeholders to develop more effective techniques and strategies for detecting, monitoring and investigating IP rights infringements.
Under its AWP 2, AfrIPI began collaborating with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to provide strategic accompaniment to the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). This collaboration is part of the drive to promote IP as a tool for regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In the AWP 3, AfrIPI and ECCAS seek to move forward together in a process that will lead to the proposal and adoption of an IP policy/strategy for ECCAS that will be complementary/compatible with international and regional legal instruments.
The fifth edition of the Global Industrie exhibition took place from 7 to 10 March in Lyon, France. This year, it welcomed more than 45 000 visitors from all across the globe and from various industries, providing great opportunities for networking and new partnerships.
The Africa IP SME Helpdesk was also present at this year’s exhibition, aiming to gather information and contacts from stakeholders to assess the intellectual property areas of interest in Africa. Furthermore, it explored potential synergies with representatives from the private and public sectors.
An effective and strategic use of intellectual property requires the promotion of IP protection of inventions and technological innovations within universities, institutes and research centres, and the linkage to the business environment to guarantee the effective exploitation of research results by enterprises.
The Continental Strategy on Geographical Indications (GIs) aims to create an enabling environment at the legal and institutional level for GIs in African countries.
In OAPI countries, the creation of National Committees on GIs, tasked with the prior examination of specifications, is mandatory for registering GIs. The role of these committees may also extend to the control, defence and promotion of GIs. This activity will support the creation and, where applicable, well-functioning of these bodies. It will focus on: