News & Insights
TUNISIA - Accession to Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) confirmed the deposit by the Government of the Republic of Tunisia, on 6 April 2023, of its instruments of accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications, which was adopted at Geneva on 20 May 2015. The […]
May 18 2023
KENYA - Kenya and Uganda joining forces to fight counterfeit goods
The Anti-Counterfeit Authority of Kenya (ACA) and Uganda’s Anti-Counterfeit Network (ACN Africa) have signed a memorandum, to fight against the distribution of counterfeit goods across the East African region. According to the World Economic Forum’s estimates, illicit trade currently deprives the global economy of USD 2.2 Trillion annually. The ACN confirmed that Uganda, on its […]
May 18 2023
ARIPO - Prime Minister of Cape Verde to consider ratifying fifth and final ARIPO Protocol
The Director General of ARIPO, Bemanya Twebaze, met with key government stakeholders during his visit to Cape Verde in April 2023. Aside from the Prime Minister, he also engaged with H.E Alexandre Dias Monteiro (Minister of Industry, Trade & Energy), H.E Dr. Rui Alberto Figueiredo Soares (the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation & Regional Integration), […]
May 18 2023
LESOTHO - Celebrating World Intellectual Property Day
On 26 April 2023 Lesotho commemorated World Intellectual Property Day. The day was established by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in 2000 and has since been celebrated annually by its members. The celebration is aimed at creating awareness of the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) and to encourage innovation and creativity in the field […]
May 18 2023
KENYA - Terik Community partners with KEMRI to create a new deworming product based on traditional indigenous knowledge
The Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has, in partnership with Terik Essential Programs Agency for Development (TEPAD), created a deworming porridge which formed part of an initiative of the Terik Community’s schools. The product, Ujiplus, is a porridge consisting of herbal deworming properties derived from the community’s traditional herbal practices. The community sought to partner […]
May 18 2023
Court Upholds Exceptions: Auditor and Compliance Officer Cleared in Lawsuit Instituted Against Intermediary and Statutory Officers.
A few years ago, several well-known short-term insurance companies took legal action against an intermediary company due to the damages they incurred as a result of the intermediary’s collapse. The intermediary, presently in liquidation, was responsible for the collecting and accounting of premiums owed to the insurers. Surprisingly or some might even contend strangely, the […]
May 17 2023
One work to rule them all?
Battle lines have recently been drawn, after fan fiction writer, Demetrious Polychron, filed a 250-million-dollar lawsuit against the Tolkien Estate and Amazon on the basis of copyright infringement. Mr Polychron claims that his novel, The Fellowship of the King, which draws inspiration from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, is a wholly original book and concept […]
May 17 2023
Insurance and Compliance: The Importance of Certificates of Compliance for Solar Systems and Inverters in South Africa
Insurance policies often contain a standard clause requiring policyholders to comply with the laws of the country where the policy is issued. The intention behind the clause is to ensure that policyholders act in a lawful manner. Failure to comply may lead to policy exclusions or the denial of claims. With the current energy crisis […]
May 17 2023
Does a duty to disclose to your insurer cease? If so, when?
The parties to an insurance contract all have a legal duty to disclose. All the material information must be disclosed. This sounds simple enough, however, this is not so in real life. This is evidenced by the fact that there is plethora of court cases that relate to the issue of non-disclosure. The substance of […]
May 16 2023
Ed Sheeran two-steps to victory in copyright dispute across the pond
Ed Sheeran’s victories continue to multiply, after a New York jury recently ruled that his song, Thinking Out Loud, does not infringe the copyright of well-known American song, Let’s Get It On, written by Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend. This 100-million-dollar claim was first brought by Townsend’s heirs in 2017 against Sheeran, his records label, […]
May 10 2023
Grave Risks for Lawyers Relying on ChatGPT!
Development, growth, and advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is progressing at a rapid speed. ChatGPT is one such chatbot that has taken the internet space by storm. There have been robust debates around the potential effects of ChatGPT across various tertiary institutions, different professional bodies, and various other institutions. There are also serious concerns about […]
May 05 2023
Brands in Africa: the dos and the don’ts
Africa is a vast continent and is often underestimated, both from a business but also from a brand protection perspective. Africa’s land mass exceeds that of India, China, the United States and Europe combined. It is also the second most populous continent, with over 1.3 billion people – or about 16.5% of the world’s population. […]
May 04 2023
Recent Developments in the NFT, Metaverse and Web 3 space
As technology continues to advance, the digital landscape is constantly evolving, presenting new opportunities and challenges for Intellectual Property (IP) law. There have been notable developments involving the interplay between Intellectual Property, Non-Fungible Tokens (“NFTs”), and the Metaverse, since the publication of our previous article on the topic. Firstly, the Hermès v Rothschild case, which […]
May 04 2023
100 Years of Women in Legal Practice
The 10th of April 2023 marked 100 years since the Woman Legal Practitioners Act 7 of 1923 was promulgated. The Act contained a single section, which read: “Women shall be entitled to be admitted to practice and to be enrolled as advocates, attorneys, notaries public or conveyancers in any province of the Union, subject to […]
May 03 2023
NO CAR INSURANCE POLICY AND/OR DO NOT WANT TO CLAIM FROM THEIR INSURERS: HERE IS HOW THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS WORK
The reason why people take out insurance policies is to protect themselves against risk. Whilst taking out an insurance policy is the most preferred and popular way of protecting one’s motor vehicle against risks, there are other further alternatives which car owners can opt for. In addition to taking out an insurance cover, one can […]
April 26 2023
World Intellectual Property Day - Supporting inclusive innovation in Africa
On 26 April 2023, Adams & Adams joins the global intellectual property (IP) community in celebrating World IP Day. This special day, designated by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), aims to increase awareness and understanding of the role IP plays in driving innovation and creativity, and consequently economic growth. This year’s theme is Women […]
April 26 2023
Draft Regulations on Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs: Will the new warning labels be a put off?
Are you aware of the recent Draft Regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs (“Draft Regulations”) which were published for comment on 21 April 2023? If not, read on, as these proposed regulations could have a significant impact on industries and businesses that are concerned with, or involved in, the packaging of foodstuffs. […]
April 24 2023
SOUTH AFRICA: SA Medical Research Council Meets with Future Research Leaders
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) which provides various health research grants to 15 universities across South Africa hosted a meeting with 65 grant holders. The SAMRC has committed over 70% of its research grant budget to previously disadvantaged institutions with a view to fostering development in these institutions by fast-tracking the transition of […]
April 19 2023