Paragraph 1: General procedural rules

Articles in this section · 9

R331-24R331-25R331-26R331-27R331-28R331-29R331-30R331-31R331-32

Article R331-25

French Intellectual Property CodeIn force
Ask for lawyer reviewed or certified translation

Updated 7 Nov 2023

I.-The approval referred to in article L. 331-30 and the second paragraph of article L. 331-33 is granted by the Minister for Culture for a period of five years to associations that meet the following conditions on the date of the application for approval:

1° Prove that they have been in existence for at least three years from the date of their declaration;

2° Prove, during the period mentioned in the previous paragraph, that they have been effectively and publicly active in defending the interests of the beneficiaries of at least one of the exceptions mentioned in 2° of article L. 331-28; this activity is assessed in particular on the basis of the production and dissemination of publications and information;

3° Bring together at least fifty members paying contributions individually; this condition may not be required of associations engaged in research and analysis activities of a scientific nature; where the association has a federal or confederal structure, the total number of contributors from the associations making it up is taken into account.

Accreditation is renewable under the same conditions as the initial accreditation.

Applications for accreditation and renewal are addressed to the minister responsible for culture. The composition of the application and the procedures for its examination are laid down by order of this minister. When the application submitted to the authorities is complete, a receipt is issued in accordance with articles R. 112-4 et seq of the Code des relations entre le public et l'administration. The approval or refusal decision is notified within two months of the issue of the receipt. Reasons must be given for refusal decisions.

II.-The legal entities approved under the conditions provided for in I of this article may refer the matter to the Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique in the collective interest of one or more categories of beneficiaries of the exceptions mentioned in 2° of article L. 331-28. They may also act on behalf of one or more identified natural or legal persons. The referral is only admissible if it mentions the category or categories of beneficiaries represented or if the mandates granted by natural persons or legal entities are attached to it.

Mariela Petrova

Need help applying this article to your situation?

A registered French Lawyer explains what applies to your business — in English, fixed fee.

within 48h

Fixed Fee

Talk to a lawyer
Previous articleArticle R331-24Next articleArticle R331-26
Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

English · French · Russian

Ready When You Are

Talk To A Corporate
Lawyer In France.

A 20–30 minute call, in English, to scope the engagement. No obligation, no preliminary fee. You will leave the call with a clear view of what the work will cover and what it will cost.

Talk To A Corporate Lawyer+33 1 84 88 31 00
First EngagementFixed Fee

Talk to a French lawyer.

Reply within 24 hours.

Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

Continue Reading

Related corporate services in France

01 / Setup

Setting up a French company

Choose between SAS, SARL, SA or SCI — and structure your first French entity around how you actually plan to operate.

Read More
02 / Operating

French commercial contracts

Distribution, agency, supply, services and IP licences — drafted around the protections French law actually gives.

Read More
03 / Disputes

Business disputes & litigation

Shareholder conflicts, commercial breaches and pre-litigation strategy — handled by the same team that knows the file.

Read More