Art. 76 of Law No. 1/19 of September 2018, amending Law No. 1/15 of May 2015, governing the press in Burundi, stipulates that media organizations are liable for any content published on their platforms, even if it is posted anonymously. This provision has been in effect since the enactment of Law No. 1/11 in June 2013. Furthermore, Art. 62 mandates that authorised press entities must refrain from broadcasting or publishing material that contravenes public morality or order.

According to Section 3 of the 2018 Press Law, the "Conseil National de la Communication" (CNC) is entitled to unilaterally distribute and withdraw a press card to journalists with high discretion, including for electronic media.

It is reported that Onatel Burundi is a fully state-owned telecommunications provider. It provides the full range of services, including fixed and mobile voice, broadband and internet.

It is reported that Burundi does not mandate functional or accounting separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market.

There is a requirement to acquire a license from the "Agence de Régulation et de Contrôle des Télécommunications" (ARCT, Regulatory Agency for Telecommunications) for operation in ICT sectors and to gain access to the frequency spectrum. Decree No. 100/97 of 2014 raised the cost of acquiring a telecommunication licence by more than 500% from USD 200,000 to USD 10 Million, as per Art. 33. It is reported that the increase impacts affordability and thus limits access to the internet in Burundi.
The ARCT regulates and licenses foreign companies that provide communication services, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), issues licenses to Internet service providers (ISPs), and regulates satellite usage, GPS, and VSAT. According to Art. 8 of Decree-Law No. 1/011, the ARCT grants authorisations to operate links, independent private networks, and value-added services provided by public and private operators. However, the government grants authorisations to operate commercial services after technical advice from the ARCT.

Burundi has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

Burundi is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

Burundi is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). However, the country has been an observer of the WTO GPA since 2019.

Burundi's foreign investment is regulated by the Investment Law of 2021, which allows open investment. Art. 12 of the Law stipulates that the Republic of Burundi shall refrain from any form of discrimination in the area of ownership.

In matters of procedure for granting and administering the patents, Section 468 of the Industrial Property Law requires that "any holder of an industrial property right (including patents) whose usual residence or main establishment is located outside Burundi must be represented either by a legal advisor who resides and practices in Burundi, or by a natural person or legal entity with professional experience in the field of industrial property who/which resides and exercises his/its profession of legal consultant in Burundi".

Burundi is not a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Burundi has a copyright regime under Law No. 1/021. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Arts. 26-28 list the exceptions, which include (i) the reproduction, translation, or adaptation of works for personal use; (ii) the use of works for reporting current events or including them in films or TV broadcasts if the works are publicly visible; (iii) the reproduction of computer programs for personal or archival purposes by lawful owners; and (iv) temporary reproductions made during digital transmissions if authorised.

Despite Law No. 1/021 of December 2005 complies with international standards for the protection of copyright, on a practical level, it is reported that the implementation of this law is still poor and enforcement measures are lagging behind. The Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure outline the specific penalties for IP infringement, as stated in the copyright law Arts. 91-94. Nonetheless, as of 2021, Burundi still does not have any sanctions applied in case the rights under the intellectual property law are infringed upon.

Burundi has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.