COEUR IP is dedicated exclusively to protecting, enforcing and commercialising intellectual property rights across Africa — for brand owners, innovators, research institutions, and for firms who need a dependable correspondent on the continent.
Barrister Vanessa Halle — Managing Partner
Africa is 54 countries and three separate filing systems. A single brand may need an OAPI application for francophone West and Central Africa, an ARIPO designation for much of the anglophone region, and individual national filings for markets like Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt that sit outside both.
Handled piecemeal, that means a different agent, a different invoice and a different set of deadlines in every jurisdiction. COEUR IP exists so that you brief one practice, once, and protection is coordinated across all of it.
We advise start-ups, small and medium enterprises, multinational corporations, research institutions and brand owners on every aspect of intellectual property — and we act just as often for law firms abroad who need work handled properly in Africa.
These are not slogans. They are the reasons clients stay.
We take the time to understand your business, then tailor the advice and the filing strategy to your commercial objectives — not to a template.
High-quality legal work delivered through streamlined processes, responsive communication and quick turnaround.
Coordinated protection across 51 countries through our practice in Cameroon and an established network of trusted associates.
We anticipate changes in an evolving IP landscape so you can protect, enforce and maximise the value of your rights with confidence.
OAPI is francophone, ARIPO is anglophone. We work natively in both, so nothing is lost between systems.
Your enquiry is read by the attorney who will handle your matter. You will not be passed to an intake team.
From the first clearance search to enforcement against counterfeiters.
Searches, filing and prosecution, renewals, recordals and the day-to-day management of a portfolio across multiple jurisdictions.
Trademark, patent and design prosecution before OAPI, ARIPO and national registries, including responses to objections and examination reports.
Customs recordal, border enforcement, investigations, and civil and criminal action against counterfeiters.
Establishing what a business actually owns, where it is protected, and where it is exposed.
Licensing, franchising, assignments, royalty agreements and technology transfer, recorded at the relevant registries.
Oppositions, cancellations and invalidation proceedings, pre-litigation strategy, and representation before registries and courts.
Send your mark or invention and the countries that matter to your business. You'll get back which filing system reaches each one, what it costs, how long it takes, and where you are currently exposed.
Request your filing map