Inventa International Africa is the continent with the largest number of countries – 54. As trademarks are usually protected at a national level, an African-wide trademark protection strategy can be taxing. However, there are some shortcuts that will help applicants to secure African-wide trademark protection.
Madrid Protocol The Madrid Protocol for the international registration of trademarks was established in 1989 and provides applicants with the possibility of designating several countries with a single application. The Madrid Protocol was ratified by 22 African countries, and the geographical reach is extended to 38, due to the participation of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI). Putting this into perspective, about 2/3 of the continent are covered by the Madrid Union, allowing applicants to take full advantage of the system and obtain cost-effective protection throughout the continent. There are some notable exceptions of countries that did not join the Madrid Union, such as Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa or Tanzania.