NATURE OF THE DISPUTE
Intellectual property litigation is the set of procedures and mechanisms for resolving disputes relating to intellectual property rights administered by the African Intellectual Property Organization.
Disputes before the OAPI (African Intellectual Property Organization) concern exclusively industrial property. They may relate to the attribution of rights, the validity of rights, and rights infringement. Intellectual property disputes before the OAPI unfold in two distinct phases: administrative disputes and judicial disputes
Each annex to the Bangui Agreement defines:
- The subject matter and the scope of the rights conferred
- Applicable limitations
- Violation of conferred rights and penalties for infringement of exclusive rights
All these procedures (administrative and judicial) aim to enforce intellectual property rights for the benefit of all users of the OAPI system, whether they are national or foreign.
