Burundi

The landlocked Republic of Burundi, lies on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganika in central Africa. It is bordered by Rwanda to the North, Tanzania to the South and East and Democratic Republic of Congo to the West.

General information

• Capital: Bujumbura
• Population: 5.73 million
• Area: 27 834 km2
• Languages: French, Kirundi - official languages. Swahili.
• Exports: Coffee; tea; cotton; hides and skins.
• Imports: Capital goods; petroleum products; foodstuffs; consumer goods.
• Currency: Burundi Franc

Trademarks

Law:

Trade Mark law of August 20, 1964, as amended by Law no. 1/169 of 1 July 1968

International Conventions:

WIPO, WTO, Paris Union.

Requirements for Application:

(a) Power of attorney (in French), simply signed.
(b) Twelve prints and a printing block of the trade mark - word and device marks.

Classification:

Whilst there is no formal classification, the international classification of goods and services is recognised and applicants should merely list the goods/services of interest. A single application may cover more than one class.

Procedure:

Examination as to formal requirements only.

Opposition:

No provision

Use:

No provision.

Duration and Renewal:

Unlimited.

Licensing/Registered Users:

Concept is recognised although no express provision.

Assignments:

Assignments must be made with the goodwill of the business. Recordation is required.

Requirements:

(a) Original certificate of registration for endorsement;
(b) Power of attorney from the assignee, in French;
(c)Original deed of assignment in French or filed together with a sworn translation.

Marking of Goods:

Notice of registration by use of the legend ‘Marque Déposée’ optional.

Follow the importer’s instructions or specific contract specifications.

Patents

General:

Patent protection is obtainable via a national filing. Burundi is a member of the International Convention, WTO but is not a member of PCT. A granted foreign patent can also be registered in Burundi as a patent of importation.

Patentable Subject Matter:

Inventions that can be reduced to practice as articles of industry or trade are patentable.

Filing Requirements:

Neither legalization nor notarisation of any documents is required. A specification in French is needed

Novelty:

An invention is new if it has not been publicly used in Burundi or published anywhere before the filing date or the priority date, unless, in the case of a patent of importation, such publication is exclusively the result of a legal obligation that the inventor could not avoid. Any foreign patent which is in force may be used as the basis for a patent of importation or confirmation.

Examination:

The application is subjected to formal examination only.

Duration/Maintenance:

Patents are granted for a term of twenty years counting from the date of application and patents of importation last for the unexpired term of the patent on which the patent of importation is based, but not exceeding twenty years. Burundi law does not provide for payment of maintenance fees.

Working:

The patented article must be worked in Burundi within two years from the date of working abroad; otherwise, an interested party may bring cancellation proceedings.