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WIPO Participated in the 4th Edition of the OAPI Trademark Award 2023

October 3, 2023

Lomé, Togo - September 13 to 15, 2023

The OAPI Trademark Award 2023, held in Lomé, Togo, from September 13 to 15, saw active participation from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Across these three days, WIPO representatives engaged with local business leaders, legal representatives, and employer associations. They shed light on the significance of intellectual property (IP) in the modern business landscape.

(Photo: OAPI/Flickr))

WIPO took the opportunity to introduce its range of tools, programs, and services designed to support businesses. Several key initiatives were presented:

  1. Effective SME Intermediary Program: A program which equips business support institutions, such as chambers of commerce, business associations, incubators, and innovation agencies, with the capacity to deliver sustainable IP support to innovative businesses. It provides customized online resources to strengthen intermediaries' knowledge and capabilities in offering effective IP assistance to businesses. A pilot project is currently in progress in three Chambers of Commerce in OAPI countries, with WIPO expressing its intention to establish collaborations with intermediaries across the region.
  2. IP Management Clinics for SMEs: A flagship program, aimed at supporting selected businesses in specific sectors to strategically utilize IP in their entrepreneurial activities.
  3. WIPO IP Diagnostics Tool for OAPI: Attendees were introduced to the recently adapted version of the WIPO IP Diagnostics Tool tailored to the OAPI legal and regulatory context. This tool provides businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals in the 17 OAPI member states with a comprehensive means to identify and strategically leverage their intellectual property assets, covering trade names, plant variety protection, and geographical indications.

Additionally, WIPO highlighted its Division for Africa's support initiatives and projects tailored to benefit SMEs within the region and emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the Madrid System and its primary advantages for SMEs operating in the OAPI region.

The presentations and discussions received enthusiastic appreciation from attendees, underscoring the importance of these initiatives in fostering a robust IP ecosystem and supporting economic growth in the African region. WIPO's active participation in the OAPI Trademark Award 2023 further highlights its commitment to empowering businesses with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the evolving digital age and maximize the potential of their intellectual property assets.

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