Burkina faso Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in burkina faso, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Protecting Intellectual Property
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The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) annual Special 301 Report does not list Burkina Faso on the Priority Watch List or Watch List. The country has legal protections for intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc.) and is a member of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which provide access to registration systems. In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. For background, link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and the Stopfakes.gov website for more resources. IPR contacts for Burkina Faso:

  • The regional IP Attaché for Sub-Saharan Africa is based in South Africa.

  • For in-country assistance, you can contact the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou, specifically the Economic/Commercial Officer, at OuagaECON@state.gov.

  • For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Standards and Intellectual Property Rights (OSIP) Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov. To access the Burkina Faso Investment Climate Statement, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.

  • projects funded by multilateral development banks, U.S. firms can visit the Department of State’s Business Information Database System (BIDS) at https://www.state.gov/bidding-and-assignments. 

Legal protection exists for intellectual property, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and semiconductor chip design.  Burkina Faso belongs to the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which provides access to a registration system for trademarks, patents, and industrial designs.  Patents are valid in member countries for 20 years, with licensing possible three years after issuance of the patent.  Trademarks are valid for 20 years and are renewable.

In Burkina Faso, the national investment code guarantees foreign investors the same rights and protection as Burkinabe enterprises for trademarks, patent rights, labels, copyrights, and licenses.  The Bureau Burkinabe du Droit d’Auteur (BBDA) is charged with administering a system of copyrights, while the Directeur Général de la Propriété Industrielle within the Ministère de Commerce, Industrie et l’Artisanat handles patent and trademark affairs.

To access Burkina Faso’s ICS, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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