News & Insights
Draft Copyright Bill – inclusion of Copyright Levies considered at BIPA workshop
On 10 November 2022, a virtual workshop hosted by the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) together with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was held with a specific focus on the inclusion of copyright levies in the Draft Copyright Bill in Namibia. The overhaul of Namibian copyright legislation is in response to the worldwide […]
December 07 2022
Concerning Developments For Foreign Trade Mark Applicants In Libya
An administrative directive has recently been issued by the Office of the Ministry of Economy & Trading in Libya, which states that the Libya Trademark Office will no longer be accepting trade mark applications filed by foreign applicants with effect from 1 November 2022. In the context of reorganizing the workflow of the Trademark Office, […]
December 07 2022
Ghana - Launch of the CSIR's intellectual property policy document
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched an Intellectual Property (IP) policy to safeguard and promote the development and distribution of new technologies and services in Ghana. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Ghana Intellectual Property Organization (GHIPO) collaborated on the policy document, which went through several stages of development. […]
December 07 2022
Draft bill establishing Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority approved
Egyptian Cabinet have approved a bill to establish the Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority, the first entity of its kind in the country. The Authority will be responsible for regulating and protecting intellectual property rights in the country in accordance with Egypt’s international commitments, while balancing these rights with its social, economic and cultural needs. The […]
December 07 2022
Botswana launches first ever National Intellectual Property Policy
On 15th November 2022 His Excellency President Mokgweetsi Masisi formally launched Botswana’s first ever National Intellectual Property Policy (BIPP), under the theme “Harnessing IP for Economic Transformation”. The BIPP was developed with the assistance of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and focuses on six interrelated stated as follows: to improve the IP governance framework […]
December 07 2022
46th Session of the Administrative Council of ARIPO
The 46th Session of the Administrative Council of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique from 21 to 25 November 2022. Director General, Bemanya Twebaze, has called on member states to double efforts to ensure that intellectual property be used to address challenges that include […]
December 07 2022
12th edition of the Nice Classification applicable from January 2023
The OAPI office has confirmed that the 12th edition of the Nice Classification system will be applicable to all trade mark filings, including international filings through the Madrid system, from 1 January 2023. Trade marks which are filed after this date using older editions of the Nice Classification system, will not be accepted, unless the goods/services […]
December 05 2022
Kenya – Update on the implementation of Recordation of Intellectual Property Rights for Imports
On 29th November 2022, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (“ACA”) issued and circulated a Public Notice no. 3/2022, available here, essentially reiterating that the Mandatory recordal of intellectual property rights for importation purposes will be implemented on 1st January 2023. The ACA advised that further extension/s of the implementation of the Recordation Regulations are not contemplated at this stage. Importers are urged to […]
December 01 2022
FESTIVE ACCIDENTS & RAF CLAIMS: NOT EVERY ROAD ACCIDENT LOSS CAN BE RECOVERED FROM THE RAF
It is that time of the year where there is ordinarily a worrying rise in motor vehicle accidents. As expected, road accidents awareness campaigns by the Department of Transport and other relevant agencies are in full swing. It is therefore apt that the public be informed or reminded about some of the realities with regard […]
November 23 2022
A REFLECTION OF LOSS OF SUPPORT BETWEEN SIBLINGS IN THE CONTEXT OF A ROAD ACCIDENT FUND CLAIM
Dependent children have the right to claim for loss of support from the Road Accident Fund, provided their parent passed away in or from a motor vehicle collision which was not their fault. In other words, the collision must have been partly or entirely caused by the negligent driving of someone else Parents can also […]
November 23 2022
Adams and Adams achieves outstanding recognition by Best Lawyers®
Adams & Adams is proud to announce it has once again been honoured with the Best Lawyers® “Law Firm of the Year” award for expertise in Intellectual Property Law in South Africa. In addition to this achievement, 27 of the firm’s partners are named in The Best Lawyers in South Africa® 2023 edition, with 11 […]
November 17 2022
Preventing genericide: Saving your trade mark from falling prey to the public domain
Videotape, Escalator, Trampoline, Laundromat[1]. What do all of these words have in common? They were all once legally protectable trade marks which, due to the way in which they were used, have lost their distinctiveness and since become ‘generic’. But what does ‘generic’ mean? A generic trade mark is a word or phrase that becomes […]
November 16 2022
ZURICH INSURANCE COMPANY ‘HIT BY ROCK MASS’ IN THE GAUTRAIN TUNNEL
The Supreme Court of Appeal (“the SCA” hereinafter) recently delivered a judgement in a matter involving Zurich Insurance Company South Africa LTD (“the insurer”) and the Gauteng Provincial Government (“the insured”), bringing to an end litigation that commenced early 2015. This insurance repudiation matter involving highly technical legal and civil engineering components is crucial for […]
November 14 2022
Harare and Banjul Protocols now in force in Cape Verde
As of 14 October 2022, the Republic of Cape Verde ratified the Harare Protocol and the Banjul Protocol. This makes it the 20th contracting State of Harare Protocol and the 13th contracting State of the Banjul Protocol. Users of the ARIPO system may now specify Cape Verde in their applications in accordance with the Harare […]
November 10 2022
COSOMA calls for proposals to access Copyright Cultural Fund
The Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) has requested creative industry proposals for access to its Cultural Fund. The Cultural Fund was recently launched by Michael Usi, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Wildlife following the phasing out of the Cultural Support Scheme. The aim of the fund is to assist urban and rural creatives to […]
November 10 2022
Africa looks to Mauritius for guidance regarding innovation-driven growth
Mauritius has preserved its title as Africa’s most inventive nation, surpassing the likes of South Africa, Kenya, and Senegal despite a rough year of inflation and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ranked the island nation 45th globally in its annual Global Innovation Index for 2022, making […]
November 10 2022
NCC seizes over 1,600 copies of pirated books in Abuja
The Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) has cracked down on illegal book vendors, seizing 1,600 copies of pirated books from four stores in Abuja, totaling more than N2 million. The Commission’s effective anti-piracy operation was the result of intelligence obtained during a monitoring exercise by its operatives, who had the assistance of armed police officers. Three […]
November 10 2022
Nigeria Start-Up Bill signed into law
The Nigeria Start-up Bill has been signed into law by President Buhari. This has led to the introduction of the Nigerian Start-up Act making it the nation’s first piece of law aimed specifically at the registration and operation of start-ups. The Bill, which aims to regulate how start-ups and regulatory organisations function and cooperate in the […]
November 10 2022