AfrIPI delivers tailored trainings for OAPI trademarks and design examiners
In 2023, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) Project, supported the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) training program for trademarks and design examiners on substantive examination, at the OAPI head office in Yaoundé, Cameroon
On the 25-27 September 2023, Laurent BEAUSSE, Trademark Examiner at the EUIPO, conducted the first phase of the tailored training for the OAPI trademark examiners. During this practical course, participants explored the emergent tenets of substantive examination in a bid to strengthen the capacity of OAPI Trademark examiners, management, and IT staff on aspects related to trademark applications and the management of conflicts that may arise.
The second phase of the training was led by Emmanuel COLLIN, Industrial Design Examiner at the EUIPO, and took place on 12-14 December 2023. The training was aimed at providing OAPI Industrial Design Examiners, opposition examiners, management, and IT staff with in-depth knowledge of examination guidelines for industrial designs.
The EUIPO experts together with the OAPI examiners reviewed amongst others:
- substantive examination of trademarks and industrial designs;
- appropriation of dedicated tools;
- oppositions to the registration of trademarks and industrial designs;
- tools for research of industrial designs and trademarks;
- the different forms and rules applicable to notifications of international trademarks and industrial designs;
- the use of the Office Portal (MOP) for access to IP office databases of WIPO,
- the use of instruments to assist in classification (Nice, Vienna, Locarno, TMclass, TMview, DesignView, DesignClass, etc.)
The appropriation of the OAPI guidelines for trademarks and industrial design examiners is expected to kick off after the trainings that took place at the OAPI head office in Yaoundé, Cameroon. After which, a one-week study visit to the EUIPO headquarters in Spain will be organised in 2024 to permit the examiners to familiarize themselves with good examination practices used at the EUIPO Office and to put into practice the knowledge acquired during the trainings.