End-to-End Trademark Registration in Ivory Coast

To obtain trademark protection and recognition in Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), the mark must necessarily be registered through OAPI – the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle. See more here: OAPI trademark registration information.

A trademark registered with the African Intellectual Property Organization, officially called Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle OAPI, grants protection in all 17 OAPI member states through a single registration: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

OAPI is also a member state of the Madrid Protocol, so it is possible to extend an international registration to OAPI via the Madrid System. We offer services for trademark filing through the Madrid System.

If you register a combined trademark (word + figurative elements) through OAPI, your exclusive rights are limited to using the mark in the exact configuration in which it was filed and registered. If you wish to use the word element apart from the logo (or vice versa), you should consider filing another trademark covering only those elements you want to protect separately.

By default, searches only cover verbal elements – searches for figurative/logo elements are not available in the standard service. If you want the figurative or design elements of your trademark to be considered in a Trademark Search Report for OAPI, please contact us directly, as fees and estimated delivery times may vary.

To register a trademark in Ivory Coast, you will generally need:

• Original Power of Attorney, signed. No notarization or legalization required.
• The name or logo you want to register
• The applicant’s details

Your iGERENT consultant will confirm the exact requirements for your case and guide you through each step.

The average time frame to register a trademark in Ivory Coast (via OAPI) is around 9 months for straightforward cases. This is an estimated processing time based on current application timeframes and it may vary considerably.

Once your trademark is registered through OAPI:

• It has a validity of 10 years from the application date.
• It can be renewed indefinitely for further periods of ten (10) years.

Renewal:

• Can be requested during the six (6) months after expiration, which is the grace period, upon payment of a late renewal fee.

Use is not required for registration, but if the trademark is not used for more than five (5) years after registration, it becomes vulnerable to cancellation for non-use. To avoid this, it is enough that the mark is used in any one of the OAPI member states, not necessarily in Ivory Coast alone.

Yes. Interested third parties can file opposition actions against a trademark application in OAPI:

• Oppositions may be filed within six (6) months following the publication of the application in the Official Gazette.

If a third party attempts to register or use a trademark for similar goods or services that includes a primary or distinct part of your trademark, you have the right to oppose the application based on confusing similarity. The probability of success will depend on the circumstances of each case.

A trademark does not have to be in use in order to be registered through OAPI.

However, after registration:

• If the mark is not used for more than five (5) years, it becomes vulnerable to cancellation actions based on lack of use.
• To prevent this, use of the mark in any OAPI member state is sufficient; it does not have to be limited to Ivory Coast.

No. We do not provide standalone address for service services in Ivory Coast

When you instruct iGERENT to handle your trademark application in Ivory Coast, the address for service requirement is automatically covered as part of our full service. We work with qualified local trademark attorneys who act as your official representative before the relevant Trademark Office, including compliance with all local representation and address for service requirements.

We do not offer address for service services separately for applicants who wish to file directly on their own in jurisdictions where self-filing may be technically permitted. Our services are designed to ensure that applications are properly filed, examined, and managed by experienced local professionals.

If you would like assistance with your trademark registration in Ivory Coast or any other country, feel free to contact us here and we will be happy to guide you through the process. We offer services worldwide.

Choosing iGERENT for your trademark application in Ivory Coast means working with a team that values transparency, reliability, and practical results.

Trusted by 12,000+ businesses and with over 25,000 trademarks handled since 2014, we simplify trademark registration in Ivory Coast through one dedicated specialist coordinating local attorneys worldwide.

• We provide clear quotes that include both official fees and our professional fees, so you know exactly what you’re paying for.
• We’ve managed trademark filings and portfolios for businesses of all sizes, from startups to established international brands.
• We keep you in the loop with regular status updates, not just at filing, but all the way to registration.

Don’t just take our word for it, see why businesses trust iGERENT as the best trademark registration service.