As a member of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the Republic of the Congo is automatically a member of the African Intellectual Property Organization (AIPO).  AIPO is charged with issuing a single copyright system that is enforceable in all member states.  As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Republic of the Congo must ensure that its legislation conforms to trade-related aspects governing intellectual property.

The Ministry of Commerce and other interested ministries work together to address issues related to counterfeit products and other items entering the country illegally.  Local authorities have seized and destroyed containers of contraband items, such as medical supplies and food products. 

Interested parties may contact the U.S. Embassy’s Economic Section, brazzavillepolecon@state.gov, for more information about protecting intellectual property in the Republic of the Congo.

In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property.  For background, link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources.

For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Standards and Intellectual Property Rights (OSIP) Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov.

To access the Republic of the Congo’s Investment Climate Statement, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.