Counsel
Foreign correspondents
Applicants not domiciled in a member State must act through an accredited OAPI attorney. We take instructions, check the file and follow the procedure through to the Official Gazette.
OAPI-accredited attorney · Yaoundé
One filing. 17 States.
Ekémé Lysaght advises, assists and represents owners and foreign counsel on obtaining, maintaining and enforcing intellectual property rights throughout the OAPI region.
- 48
- years since 1978
- 17
- OAPI member States
A single registration in Yaoundé covers the whole regional territory. Filing volumes are not shown: only these facts are stated.
- BJ
- BF
- CM
- CF
- TD
- KM
- CG
- CI
- GQ
- GA
- GN
- GW
- ML
- MR
- NE
- SN
- TG
Owners
Local businesses, artists, innovators
Trade mark, trade name, design, patent or copyright: we say what can be protected, what is already taken, and how to file without missing a deadline.
What we protect
- EL-MARQ Trade marks A visible or sound sign that distinguishes goods or services.
- EL-BREV Patents & utility models Protect a new technical solution — including the “petty patent”.
- EL-DESS Industrial designs The special appearance of an industrial, agricultural or craft product.
- EL-NCOM Trade names The name under which the business trades.
- EL-DAUT Copyright Literary, artistic and scientific works — including software.
- EL-IG Geographical indications A product whose quality is tied to a place — including craft and industrial goods.
Recent insights
OAPI — New patent and utility model law coming into force shortly — Annexes I and II of the revised Bangui Agreement were to be brought into force on 1 January 2025: opposition, substantive examination, divisionals, TRIPS LDC pharmaceutical claims. What must appear in an artist’s contract — In Cameroon, too many artistic engagements stay oral. What the contract must contain — and what it may not — under Act No. 2000/011. [Practitioner’s view] Geographical indication or collective mark? — The same kind of sign, similar rights on the surface — not the same term, file or area. The EKOKI matter shows why a collective mark can precede a GI.
The firm
Eight people in Yaoundé, an exclusive partnership with Lysaght & Co in Jersey, and a working relationship with OAPI that has lasted decades.
Our partners
Nsam, Yaoundé · P.O. Box 6370 · Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00