This means that third parties are only made aware of the existence of a trade mark once it has been registered by the OAPI administration and published for opposition.

The purpose of trade mark registration is to offer an exclusive right to use a mark, a sort of monopoly, which must be restrained to a specific class of goods or services in most jurisdictions.

Mauritius follows a system of national exhaustion whereby owners of trade marks and designs can take action against parallel imported goods.

More and more African states are joining the Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of trade marks.

Traditionally, the rationale behind apposing brand names on goods is to help customers distinguish between similar products and ensure that manufacturers produce work of consistent quality.

On 2nd December 2024, the Patents and Designs Registry (the Registry) announced the temporary unavailability of the Patent and Designs filing platform due to ongoing data updates.