Legal protection exists for intellectual property, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and semiconductor chip design. Burkina Faso belongs to the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which provides access to a registration system for trademarks, patents, and industrial designs. Patents are valid in member countries for 20 years, with licensing possible three years after issuance of the patent. Trademarks are valid for 20 years and are renewable.
In Burkina Faso, the national investment code guarantees foreign investors the same rights and protection as Burkinabe enterprises for trademarks, patent rights, labels, copyrights, and licenses. The Bureau Burkinabe du Droit d’Auteur (BBDA) is charged with administering a system of copyrights, while the Directeur Général de la Propriété Industrielle within the Ministère de Commerce, Industrie et l’Artisanat handles patent and trademark affairs.
To access Burkina Faso’s ICS, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.
Contact: Samuel Garané
Director General BBDA
Phone: (+226) 25 36 04 42 / (+226) 25 30 06 80
Fax: (+226) 25 30 06 82
Website: https://www.commerce.gov.bf/accueil
Email: bbda@liptinfor.bf
Contact: Mahamadi TASSEMBEDO
Director General of the National Center for Industrial Property
Phone: (+226) 25 30 09 41
Website: MICA
Email: info@mica.gov.bf
IP Attaché Contact: Gai Nyok, Economic/Commercial Officer
U.S. Embassy, Ouaga 2000, Avenue Sembene Ousmane
Telephone: (+226) 25 49 56 80
E-mail: OuagaPOL-ECON@state.gov