# Trademark registration in OAPI (Central & West Africa) > Trademarks in OAPI (Central & West Africa) are registered with the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI); the official filing and publication fee is XAF/XOF 360,000 for one class, and third parties can oppose within 3 months from publication. A registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed. OAPI (Central & West Africa) can be designated through the Madrid System. Source page: https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/oapi-central-and-west-africa Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-11 ## Key facts - **Trademark office:** African Intellectual Property Organization (Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, Yaoundé, Cameroon) (OAPI) - **Official fee:** XAF/XOF 360,000 — Filing and publication, first class - **Madrid Protocol:** Member since 2015 - **Opposition period:** 3 months from publication - **Protection:** 10 years from the filing date, renewable - **Multi-class applications:** Allowed ## Official links - Trademark office: https://oapi.int/ - Official trademark search: http://siege.oapi.int:9092/wopublish-search/public/trademarks?1 - Law: Bangui Agreement (as revised at Bamako, 2015), Annex III on Marks for Products or Services — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/details/227 - Law: Règlement portant révision de la grille des taxes relatives aux marques, aux dessins et modèles industriels et aux indications géographiques (Resolution No. 61/39 of 10 December 2021) — https://www.sgg.cg/txts-droit-reg/OAPI-Reglement-2021-revision-grille-taxes.pdf ## Official fees (as of 2022-01) - Filing and publication, first class: XAF/XOF 360,000 - Each additional class: XAF/XOF 75,000 - Renewal, first class: XAF/XOF 500,000 - Renewal, each additional class: XAF/XOF 100,000 - Late renewal surcharge: XAF/XOF 130,000 - Opposition: XAF/XOF 170,000 - Prior-mark search (word, figurative, combined, sound or audiovisual mark): XAF/XOF 95,000 — Optional ## Steps 1. Run an optional prior-mark search with OAPI, which the Organization recommends before filing. 2. File one application with OAPI in Yaoundé, through the national liaison structure in any member state or electronically, listing the Nice classes and attaching proof of payment of the fees. 3. OAPI examines formalities and absolute grounds only; it does not check for conflicts with earlier marks. 4. The accepted application is published and third parties have three months to oppose, including on the basis of prior use. 5. If there is no opposition or it fails, the mark is registered and republished to notify third parties, with protection in all member states. - **Examination:** OAPI examines formalities and absolute grounds only; there is no ex officio examination of relative grounds (earlier marks). No official examination time is stated. - **Publication:** OAPI official bulletin (BOPI); marks are published for opposition after examination and republished on registration - **Opposition:** 3 months from publication (reduced from 6 months by the reforms in force since January 2022) - **Language:** French or English (OAPI's working languages); priority documents need a certified translation into French or English - **Use requirement:** a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use. ## Good to know - OAPI is a unitary system covering 17 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo. One registration covers all of them and none has a separate national trade mark register. - OAPI does not refuse marks because of earlier conflicting marks, so owners must watch publications and oppose within three months. - A third party can claim ownership of a mark during the opposition period based on prior use; if the claim succeeds, the mark is transferred to that party. - OAPI joined the Madrid Protocol with effect from 5 March 2015, but practitioners have questioned whether Madrid designations of OAPI are enforceable in member states that have not ratified the accession, so many owners prefer a direct OAPI filing. - Since January 2022 the filing fee covers only one class, with an additional fee for each further class. ## FAQ ### Which countries are covered by an OAPI trademark? One OAPI registration covers all 17 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo. ### How much does it cost to register a trademark with OAPI? Under the fee schedule in force since 1 January 2022, the official filing and publication fee is 360,000 CFA francs for the first class plus 75,000 CFA francs for each additional class. ### How long is the opposition period for an OAPI trademark? Three months from publication, reduced from six months by the reforms in force since January 2022. ### Is OAPI part of the Madrid Protocol? Yes. The Madrid Protocol has been in force for OAPI since 5 March 2015, although the enforceability of Madrid designations in some member states has been questioned. ### How long does an OAPI trademark last? Ten years from the filing date, renewable for further 10-year periods. Renewal costs 500,000 CFA francs for the first class plus 100,000 per additional class. ### Can I register a trademark separately in Senegal or Cameroon? No. OAPI member states have no national trade mark registers, so protection is obtained only through an OAPI filing or a Madrid designation of OAPI. ## Sources - OAPI – Marque: https://oapi.int/proteger-la-pi/marque/ - OAPI – Règlements des taxes: https://oapi.int/ressources/reglements-des-taxes/ - OAPI fee regulation 2021 (Resolution 61/39), published by the Congo Government Secretariat: https://www.sgg.cg/txts-droit-reg/OAPI-Reglement-2021-revision-grille-taxes.pdf - OAPI – Trademark search database: http://siege.oapi.int:9092/wopublish-search/public/trademarks?1 - WIPO Lex – Madrid Protocol contracting parties: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/parties/8 Need a firm that files in OAPI (Central & West Africa)? Find one at https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/oapi-central-and-west-africa (TrademarksHub lists IP firms by country; featured placements are paid and labelled). General information, not legal advice.