Database

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BENIN

Since May 2009
Since April 2018, last amended in December 2020

Pillar Domestic data policies  |  Indicator Framework for data protection
Law No. 2009-09 of 22 May 2009 Dealing with the Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (Loi No. 2009-09 du 22 mai 2009 portant protection des données à caractère personnel en République du Bénin)

Law No. 2017-20 of 20 April 2018 on the Digital Code in the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2017-20 du 20 avril 2018 portant code du numérique en République du Bénin)
Law No. 2009-09 provides a general framework for personal data protection and establishes, among other things, individuals' rights, consent requirements, restrictions on data processing, as well as establishing the Beninese data protection authority as the supervisory authority. The law is supplemented by the more detailed Digital Code in 2018. The Fifth Book of the Digital Code is directly influenced by the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (GDPR). It regulates and clarifies several matters, such as joint controllership of data, conditions for consent, data breach notifications, processing for research and other purposes, and impact assessments.
Coverage Horizontal

BENIN

Since April 2018, last amended in December 2020

Pillar Domestic data policies  |  Indicator Requirement to perform a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) or have a data protection officer (DPO)
Law No. 2017-20 of 20 April 2018 on the Digital Code in the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2017-20 du 20 avril 2018 portant code du numérique en République du Bénin)
Pursuant to Art. 428 of Law No. 2017-20, where a type of processing, in particular through the use of new technologies and taking into account the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing, is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, the controller shall carry out, prior to the processing, an analysis of the impact of the envisaged processing operations on the protection of personal data, that is a data protection impact assessment (DPIA).
Coverage Horizontal

BENIN

Since April 2018, last amended in December 2020

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Indicator Safe harbour for intermediaries for copyright infringement
Law No. 2017-20 of 20 April 2018 on the Digital Code in the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2017-20 du 20 avril 2018 portant code du numérique en République du Bénin)
Law No. 2017-20 establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries for copyright infringements. Chapter II of Title I of Book Six of the Law is concerned with the responsibility of internet operators and establishes the general liability regime and the special liability regimes.
Coverage Internet intermediaries

BENIN

Since April 2018, last amended in December 2020

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Indicator Safe harbour for intermediaries for any activity other than copyright infringement
Law No. 2017-20 of 20 April 2018 on the Digital Code in the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2017-20 du 20 avril 2018 portant code du numérique en République du Bénin)
Law No. 2017-20 establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries beyond copyright infringement. Chapter II of Title I of Book Six of the Law is concerned with the responsibility of internet operators and establishes the general liability regime and the special liability regimes.
Coverage Internet intermediaries

BENIN

Since March 1977, as amended in December 2015, entry into force in November 2020
Since April 2006

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Copyright law with clear exceptions
Bangui Agreement Relating to the Creation of an African Intellectual Property organisation, Constituting a Revision of the Agreement Relating to the Creation of an African and Malagasy Office of Industrial Property (Bangui (Central African Republic), 2 March 1977) (Accord de Bangui relatif à la création d'une organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, constituant révision de l'Accord relatif à la création d'un Office Africain et Malgache de la Propriété Industrielle (Bangui (République centrafricaine), le 2 mars 1977)

Law No. 2005-30 of 5 April 2006, on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2005-30 du 5 avril 2006 relative à la protection du droit d'auteur et des droits voisins en République du Bénin)
The Revised Bangui Agreement is a regional intellectual property law that is not only a regional convention applicable in all member states but also serves as a national intellectual property law in Benin and each of the other member states. The Revised Bangui Agreement contains provisions on copyright in Annex VII: Chapter IV (Limitations to Economic Rights) and establishes a regime of copyright exceptions. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. In addition, Title IV of Law No. 2005-30 also provides a list of exceptions.
Coverage Horizontal

BENIN

Since April 2006

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Adoption of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
WIPO Copyright Treaty
Benin has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.
Coverage Horizontal

BENIN

Since April 2006

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Adoption of the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
Benin has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
Coverage Horizontal

BENIN

N/A

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Effective protection covering trade secrets
Lack of comprehensive trade secret regime
Benin does not have a comprehensive framework in place that provides effective protection of trade secrets, but there are limited measures addressing some issues related to trade secrets. The country has established provisions addressing disclosure, acquisition or use of confidential information in the course of industrial or commercial activities by third parties in Art. 6 of Annex VIII of the Bangui Agreement ratified by 17 French-speaking States, including Benin since 2002.
Coverage Horizontal

BENIN

Since April 2018, last amended in December 2020

Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition  |  Indicator Passive infrastructure sharing obligation
Law No. 2017-20 of 20 April 2018 on the Digital Code in the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2017-20 du 20 avril 2018 portant code du numérique en République du Bénin)
According to Art. 72 of Law No. 2017-20, the Regulatory Authority shall encourage sharing active and passive infrastructures and access to alternative infrastructures under equity, non-discrimination, and equal access conditions. The Authority can make infrastructure sharing mandatory in specific cases such as i) promotion of competition objectives, ii) territorial planning, or iii) protection of the environment or heritage.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

BENIN

Since December 2018

Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition  |  Indicator Presence of shares owned by the government in telecom companies
Decree No. 2018-552 of 12 December 2018 approving the Bylaws of the Société Béninoise d'Infrastructures Numériques "SBIN S.A." (Décret No. 2018-552 du 12 Décembre 2018 portant approbation des statuts de la Société Béninoise d'infrastructures Numériques « SBIN S.A. »)
According to Art. 1 of Decree No. 2018-552 of 12 December 2018, the State is the sole shareholder of the telecommunications company SBIN S.A, which is therefore fully state-owned.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

BENIN

N/A

Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition  |  Indicator Functional/accounting separation for operators with significant market power
Requirement of accounting and functional separation for dominant network operators
It is reported that Benin mandates functional and accounting separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

BENIN

N/A

Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition  |  Indicator Signature of the WTO Telecom Reference Paper
Lack of appendment of WTO Telecom Reference Paper to schedule of commitments
Benin has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

BENIN

Since April 2018, last amended in December 2020

Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition  |  Indicator Presence of an independent telecom authority
Law No. 2017-20 of 20 April 2018 on the Digital Code in the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2017-20 du 20 avril 2018 portant code du numérique en République du Bénin)
The Post and Electronic Communications Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) is the Authority in charge of regulating electronic communications and postal services. The Regulatory Authority is an independent administrative structure with legal personality and financial and management autonomy. It carries out its missions in an independent, impartial, fair and transparent manner (Art. 113 of Law No. 2017-20).
Coverage Telecommunications sector

BENIN

Since May 2009

Pillar Cross-border data policies  |  Indicator Ban to transfer and local processing requirement
Law No. 2009-09 of 22 May 2009 Dealing with the Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (Loi No. 2009-09 du 22 mai 2009 portant protection des données à caractère personnel en République du Bénin)
Section 43 of Law No. 2009-09 provides that the transfer of personal data to another country or an international organisation requires prior authorisation from the Regulator.
Coverage Horizontal

BENIN

Since September 2020

Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services  |  Indicator Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
Law No. 2020-26 of 29 September 2020 on the Public Procurement Code in the Republic of Benin (Loi No. 2020-26 du 29 septembre 2020 portant code des marchés publics en République du Bénin)
Art. 77 of Law No. 2020 - 26 provides for a specific preference for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Any candidate for a public contract who plans to subcontract at least 30% of the total value of the said contract to one or more MSMEs benefits from a margin of preference that may not exceed 5%. In addition, notwithstanding the provisions relating to Community preference, when a public contract is awarded, a preference of 5% must be given to the tender submitted by an MSME. This preference rate may be combined with the Community preference rate of 15%.
Coverage Horizontal

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