INTA Joins OAPI’s 5th Annual Trademark Awards in Gabon

From October 8 to 10, 2025, the city of Libreville (Gabon) hosted the 5th annual Award de la Marque (Trademark Awards) organized by the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI). INTA member, Brice Nyakoua (MINYOGOG & Associates Law Firm, registered as SCP Cabinet NGO MINYOGOG & Associés, Cameroon) participated in this event on behalf of INTA.

During this activity, OAPI organized a training workshop titled “The Importance of Branding in a Company’s Growth Strategy,” where Brice handled the topic on “The Trademark as a Contractual Tool.” He emphasized how important it is for trademark owners, particularly SMEs, to use contractual arrangements to capitalize on their trademarks, in a context underscored by global competition and the advent of the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area).

He also explained how contractualizing trademark rights (licensing, franchising, advertising contracts, and contracts with social media influencers, etc.) can raise funds from banks to finance business development and increase market visibility, stressing that trademark contracts must be recorded first with OAPI in order to be effective against third parties. He also pointed out that granting trademark rights to third parties allows for expansion of their use within the OAPI territory, which provides effective evidence in the event of disputes.

INTA’s participation in this formal awards ceremony was part of the INTA-OAPI 2025 Workplan.