Support for the network of OAPI judges – 4th conference

AfrIPI has created the first model of a Pan-African database on intellectual property (IP) rights. The sustainability of this platform is crucial for the improvement of IP enforcement in the OAPI region.

• In October 2021, the first-ever workshop for magistrates from OAPI Member States was organised in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, with a focus on the Bangui Agreement and issues related to IP litigation in national courts. The case-law database was presented to the magistrates and a network was set up to collect, process, and present decisions.

• In 2022, AfrIPI formalised the establishment of the Association of Judges for the OAPI Member States in Dakar, Senegal. A bureau was elected to run the affairs of the organisation, which will serve as a strong professional institution for the promotion and enforcement of IP law in the OAPI region.

• In 2023, the annual colloquium and general assembly of the OAPI Judges’ Association was organised in N’Djamena, Chad, during which the format, conception, and operation of the database were consolidated. This was then presented by a consultant recruited by AfrIPI. Over 50 decisions have been collected and added into the system so far.

In 2024, AfrIPI seeks to crown this long-standing engagement with OAPI by convening the Judges’ Network for the fourth and final seminar on a thematic area of IP litigation and practice, with the support of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal, and other specialised expertise.

As a result of this engagement, AfrIPI will have supported OAPI in strengthening IP litigation and IP-related issues within the judicial and administrative systems and provided a concrete tool to serve the legal and academic community. Moreover, the network of IP judges will contribute to provide and synchronise digital case-law for the database.

This activity is the continuation of the AWP3 Activity 9.