Affiliates

Burkina Faso’s Patent System

Burkina Faso’s Patent Office

Burkina Faso is a member of the OAPI, or the African Intellectual Property Organization.  This Union of French-based African countries was created by the Bangui Agreement in order to provide a uniform intellectual property system.  The countries not only share a Patent Office located in Yaounde, Cameroon, but they also share patent laws, which are applied uniformly in their respective local courts.

Obtaining a Patent in Burkina Faso

To obtain a patent in Burkina Faso, applications must go through the OAPI Patent Office.  The Office only accepts applications submitted in French or English.  After an examination of the application, the patent is either granted or rejected.  If granted, the patent enjoys protection in all member countries of the OAPI for ten years.  The patent can then be renewed for two further terms of five years each, if the patent is being exploited in at least one member country.  Renewal requests must be submitted within six months of the expiration of a term and cannot be submitted later than one month prior to the expiration of a term.