Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Certification

Enforceability

What the title of ownership allows you to assert, against whom, and within what limits.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Asserting your right against everyone

Letter Box, Ogata Kōrin (1700s)
Letter Box, Ogata Kōrin (1700s)

Enforceability is the quality of a title that can be invoked against third parties. The OIMAP title becomes enforceable when the 30-day opposition period following its publication in the Registry expires.

This means that a buyer, a carrier, an administration or a competing heir cannot ignore the title: they are deemed to know of its existence, since it is published.

This page describes the scope and limits of this protection, cases of opposition and remedies.

  • Third parties
  • Publication
  • Opposition
  • Appeals

Enforceability in figures

30 daysopposition period
67States where the title is recognised
3%contested files
0effect against a stolen asset

What the title allows

Uses of the title
AgainstEffect
A buyerProof of the right to sell
A carrierProof of the right to move
An administrationProof of ownership
An insurerSupporting document for the right to insure
A competing heirProof of earlier recognition

How does it become enforceable?

  1. Publication

    The title is entered in the Registry and notified.

  2. Timeframe

    Thirty days pass.

  3. Opposition or not

    A third party may contest, or not.

  4. Effect

    Without opposition, the title becomes enforceable.

  5. Maintenance

    It remains enforceable as long as it is neither revoked nor transferred.

The Calumny of Apelles, Giorgio Ghisi (1560)
The Calumny of Apelles, Giorgio Ghisi (1560)
The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling, Domenico Maria Canuti (c. 1675–76)
The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling, Domenico Maria Canuti (c. 1675–76)
Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840)
Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840)

Essential limit

Enforceability of the title or ordinary-law proof

Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)

OIMAP title

Reinforced proof
  • Published and verifiable
  • Enforceable after 30 days
  • Recognised in 67 States

Reduces disputes.

The Antechamber of the Palace of Justice, Paris, Charles Meryon (1855)

Ordinary-law proof

Invoices and deeds
  • Valid in each State
  • No publicity
  • To be assessed case by case

Remains valid, but less secure.

Title challenges by ground (2024)

Prior right invoked46%
Error of description24%
BIOP alert18%
Others12%

Source: OIMAP Registry (indicative).

The stages of a challenge

  1. Publication

    Title entered.

  2. Opposition

    A third party contests.

  3. Suspension

    The title is suspended.

  4. Mediation

    Mediation over one month.

  5. Decision

    Lifting or annulment.

Case study: an opposition lifted

A mix-up between two works

Situation

A third party contests a title, claiming to hold the same work.

Actions
  1. It turns out that the two works are neighbouring versions.
  2. Imaging analyses distinguish the two works.
  3. The opposition is lifted.
Outcome

The title is confirmed and becomes enforceable again.

Recognition in Member States

Member States undertake, through the accession agreement, to recognise the titles of ownership published by OIMAP as evidence enforceable before their authorities. Each State keeps its own ownership rules, but cannot ignore a duly published title.

In the event of a discrepancy between a national rule and an OIMAP title, the arbitration procedure establishes the solution, in compliance with international conventions.

Maharaja of Kotah Listening to Music and Watching Dancers (c. 1820)
Maharaja of Kotah Listening to Music and Watching Dancers (c. 1820)
The Judgment of Solomon and Esther before Ahasuerus (pair), Dirk Vellert (c. 1530)
The Judgment of Solomon and Esther before Ahasuerus (pair), Dirk Vellert (c. 1530)
Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)
Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)

Vocabulary of enforceability

Third parties
Anyone foreign to the act or the relationship concerned.
Publicity
Entry of an act in an accessible register.
Suspension
Provisional stop to the effects of a title.
Revocation
Annulment of a title.

Frequently asked questions

Is an OIMAP title final?

It is enforceable as long as it is not revoked or transferred.

Can a title be contested after 30 days?

Yes, before the Arbitral Tribunal or the competent court, but without automatic suspension.

Is a good-faith buyer protected?

Yes, the published title and the absence of a BIOP alert strengthen good faith.

What happens to the title in case of seizure?

It is suspended and a note is made of it.

Useful documents

Contacts

Vue générale prise à l'angle sud-ouest, Philoe, Maxime Du Camp (1849–50)
Vue générale prise à l'angle sud-ouest, Philoe, Maxime Du Camp (1849–50)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Refer to the Arbitral Tribunal

Nowshera, Kashmir (number 1000), Samuel Bourne (1864)

In case of persistent disagreement, the Arbitral Tribunal may be seized.

See arbitration
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