PCT NATIONAL PHASE ENTRY
Guinea

Guinea does not have its own standalone patent legislation but instead adheres to the Bangui Agreement, which forms the basis for a unified intellectual property system among member countries of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI). This agreement serves as a standardized legal framework for the protection of patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and other forms of industrial property across all participating states. Guinea is an active member of OAPI, which was founded in 1977 under the Bangui Agreement. Additionally, Guinea is a party to international treaties such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), further integrating it into the global intellectual property system.

A national application must be filed to enter the national phase in Guinea within 31 months from the priority date.

A translation into French may be required if the application is not filed in French. This translation must be submitted within six months from the filing date of the application.

In Guinea, no extensions are allowed for the late filing of national phase applications.

Power of Attorney: A power of attorney is required if you are not a resident of Guinea and wish to appoint an agent. It should be submitted within three months from the filing date of the application.

Assignment deed: An assignment deed is required if the applicants for the priority application are not the same. In Guinea, the deadline to submit a deed of assignment for a patent application is within 4 months from the filing date.

There is no cost exemption available for filing patent application in Guinea.

In Guinea, a request for examination must be made within 31 months from the priority date or the international filing date, whichever occurs first.

In Guinea, Renewal fees are due starting from the second anniversary of the filing date and must be paid up until the 20th year.

In Guinea, the term of a patent protection is 20 years from the date of filing the application. There is a grace period of six months, after the due date within which the renewal fee can be paid with a surcharge for late payment.

In the 2022 Global Innovation Index, Guinea ranked 12th among low-income countries and 27th in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, Guinea ranked 132nd overall, with a score of 11.6. In 2024, Guinea was ranked 131st in innovation inputs and 128th in innovation outputs.

Guinea, a coastal West African nation bordering six countries, had a population of 14.53 million in 2024. Agriculture is the primary employer, supporting 57% of rural households and engaging 52% of the labor force. Mining, particularly the Simandou 2040 project with US$20 billion in investments, is a major economic driver, contributing 18% to GDP and boosting job creation during its construction phase. Despite a fuel depot explosion in late 2023, Guinea's economy grew by 5.7% in 2024 (3.1% per capita), up from 5.5% in 2023. Inflation peaked at 9.3% in early 2024 but declined to 6.4% by year-end. However, higher spending and interest payments widened the fiscal deficit to 3.0% of GDP, while public debt rose to 42.1%. Looking ahead, inflation is expected to average 7.0% from 2025–2027. Growth is projected at 6.2% in 2025 and 10.1% in 2026–2027, mainly driven by new iron ore production.