Several general principles are important for effective management of intellectual property (IP) rights in Senegal.  First, it is important to have an overall strategy to protect your IP.  Second, IP may be protected differently in Senegal than in the United States.  Third, rights must be registered and enforced in Senegal, under local laws.  For example, your U.S. trademark and patent registrations will not protect you in Senegal.  Protection against unauthorized use in a country depends on the national laws of that country.  However, most countries do offer some measure of copyright protection to foreign works in accordance with international agreements.  

In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective management of their intellectual property.  For background on these principles please link to the following article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov, or contact ITA’s Office of Intellectual Property Rights Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov.

To access Senegal’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.