According to Section 58 of Law No. 2010/013, an authorisation is required for the supply, export, import or use of cryptography means or services. The requirements do not apply to cryptographic functions which are integrated into application software used by users.

According to Section 58 of Law No. 2010/013, an authorisation is required for the supply, export, import or use of cryptography means or services. The requirements do not apply to cryptographic functions integrated into application software users use.

According to Art. 8 of Decree No. 2015/1875 / PM, ICT goods are among the goods which are subject to the Pre-Shipment Conformity Assessment Program for goods imported into the Republic of Cameroon (PECAE). This program involves some of the following activities: auditing, surveillance, inspection, analysis, testing and certification (Art. 4.1). Testing must be performed in one of the following types of labouratories:
- Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) labouratories;
- Third-party ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labouratory;
- Supplier labouratory, provided that the test results are detailed as per the corresponding standard, that the labouratory holds a recognised quality certification system and that the list of the equipment with the corresponding calibration records is supplied to demonstrate labouratory capabilities for testing.

Section 58 of Law No. 2010/013 requires authorisation for the supply, export, import or use of cryptography means or services, although the requirements do not apply to cryptographic functions which are integrated into application software used by users. Under the law, criminal investigation officers and authorised officials may require the decryption of encrypted data by specified persons as authorised by the State Counsel, an examining judge or a court. They may also require communication service providers to comply with these requests, except where they are unable to satisfy such requests. The use of encryption to commit a crime and refusal to hand over the convention to judicial authorities in such cases is punishable by imprisonment, a high financial penalty, or both. Section 7.2 of Law No. 2010/012 states that the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) shall be “responsible for the regulation, control and monitoring of activities related to the security of electronic communication networks, information systems, and electronic certification on behalf of the State” and that one of its missions is to “examine applications for the certification of cryptographic means”.

According to the Instruction No. 8/GR/2019 issued by the Governor of the Bank of Central African States to facilitate the interpretation and implementation of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) Regulation 02/18/CEMAC/UMAC/CM, there is a limit of 1 million XAF (approx. USD 1,700) per month and per person for the remote settlement of transactions, including online payments. According to Arts. 7-8, justification needs to be provided above this limit. The Instruction provides guidance on the provision of Art. 34 of the Regulation, which implements certain limits for using electronic payment instruments outside the CEMAC and applies to the six CEMAC member states, including Cameroon.

It is reported that the de minimis threshold, that is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is KAF 70000 (approx. USD 110), below the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Cameroon has not joined any free trade agreement committing to open transfers of cross-border data flows.

Cameroon does not have a comprehensive regime in place for personal data, but it has sectoral regulations. In addition, the national Constitution, amended by Law No. 96-06 of 18 January 1996, guarantees the privacy of communications in its preamble, stating that “the privacy of all correspondence is inviolate. No interference may be allowed except by decisions emanating from the Judicial Power”. The 2010 Cybersecurity and Cybercrime law also provides for communications privacy under Art. 41. The obligation for service providers to guarantee users’ privacy and the confidentiality of information is covered under Arts. 42 and 26.

According to Art. 25, Section I of Law No. 2010/012, network operators and providers of electronic communications services are obligated to keep connection and traffic data for ten years. This is despite the sub-regional legislation of CEMAC, to which Cameroon belongs, providing for a maximum period of two years during which the States can allow operators to keep traffic data for security reasons.

According to the Bangui Agreement, ratified by 17 French-speaking States, including Cameroon, applicants resident outside the territory of the member States must file through an agent selected in one of those member States (Section III, Art. 8). The professional status of agent accredited to the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) is governed by the Regulations on the profession of Authorised Agent before the OAPI.

Cameroon is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Cameroon has a copyright regime under the law Law No. 2000/011 of 19 December 2000 on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Art. 29 outlines the exceptions, including private performances strictly within family circles, performances given free of charge for educational and academic purposes, and reproductions and transformations in one copy for the strictly personal and private use of the individual who makes them.
In addition, the Revised Bangui Agreement, which 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 Cameroon and each of the other member states, contains provisions on copyright in Annex VII: Chapter IV (Limitations to Economic Rights). Although the Agreement establishes a set of copyright exceptions, these do not adhere to the fair use or fair dealing models.

Cameroon has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Cameroon has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

Cameroon lacks a comprehensive framework in place that provides effective protection of trade secrets, but there are 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 Cameroon since 2002.