BALEMAKEN & Associés SCP, is an intellectual property law firm based in Yaoundé – Cameroon. With more than 15 years of legal practice in intellectual property in the OAPI region (French speaking countries of Central and West Africa) and DR Congo, we provide expert services in trademarks, patents, utility models, industrial designs and copyrights. We are OAPI intellectual property specialists.
The firm was founded by Mr. Emmanuel Kedi and other members of the legal profession since 2007.
Our firm’s core practice focuses on intellectual property. We also alternatively provide services in corporate and commercial practice, general investment advice, telecommunications and new technologies, real estate, due diligence, environmental law, litigation and arbitration. We conduct studies, offer training sessions on the above mentioned services.
The Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle or OAPI (English: African Intellectual Property Organization) is an intellectual property organization, headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The organization was created by the Bangui Agreement of March 2, 1977. The Bangui Agreement was subsequently amended in 1999. The protection of the IP types registered in OAPI is automatically valid in the current 17 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo. It is not possible to designate an individual country for separate protection.
Our members have equally worked for diverse international non governmental organisations such as the African Model Forest Network as consultant on issues pertaining to the valorization of genetic resources, traditional knowledge, folklore and legal issues relating to innovative farming methods and fertilisers.
The firm also has a long standing experience in intellectual property protection, counselling and portfolio management with its members representing international companies such as : La Group Limited, Puma Energy International S.A., Shenzhen IP-Com Networks Co. Ltd, Guangzhou Suntotal, Dafra Pharma International NV, Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Ltd, MAES Pharmaceutiques S.A., Société Arabe des Industries Pharmaceutiques, BIOPLUS Life Sciences Private Limited, Leo Pharma A/S, Gaulme, Laboratoires Lehning, Rocket Electric Co. Ltd, IMEX HEALTH, Niya Pharmaceuticals Ltd, AHAAN Healthcare etc.
At the national level, the firm represents clients such as AZUR S.A., SOACAM Sarl, Mama Sarl, PAFIC Sarl, SOCIA Sarl, SDMC Sarl, Elissam Motors, CAMTUR Sarl, Quotidien l’Epervier, Snob’s Bazar Center, Excellence Plus, Chrono Service International, 1task 1job, Giftedmom, EASY Cameroon S.A., Premice Computer, Compagnie Minière du Cameroun (CMC) etc.
Based in Yaoundé the political capital of Cameroon and headquater of many international organisations, apart from the legal fields the firm also work in areas such as due diligence, immigration and EMI, investigations and tracing, counterfeiting and smuggling, debt recovery, standard compliance verification, trainning and capacity building in legal domain.
The most valuable asset of the firm is its bilingual nature, incorporating both civil and common law legal systems.
Emmanuel KEDI BEH: Founder of the Balemaken&Associes law firm, he is an OAPI patent & trademark attorney and has been practicing this profession for more than 15 years. In addition to his main function, he is also a Sworn Judicial Expert in Intellectual Property matters at the Yaoundé Court of Appeal; Secretary General of the Association of Patent and Trademark Agents of OAPI; Member of the European Patent Office (EPO) Permanent Consultative Committee (SACEPO Working Group on Quality, Africa/Middle East); and Senior Coordinator of the Cameroon Chapter International Property Commercialization Council (IIPCC).