The term for filing a patent application in OAPI claiming priority is 12 months from the priority date. The restoration of this term is not possible.

The normal and minimum duration for the validity of a patent is 10 years but which may be extended to 20 years through two prolongation’s of 5 years each. The payment of taxes annually is imperative and exploitation of the tights is necessary

To obtain the date of filing, a patent application in OAPI must contain:
 – request for the grant of a patent;
 – applicant’s and inventor’s details;
 – specification, abstract and drawings;
 – proof of payment of the prescribed fee.

Any application for a patent shall undergo examination to ensure unity of invention and patentability per se. No request for such examination is required, examination is conducted automatically.