News & Insights
Ambush marketing and the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens
Ambush marketing and the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens With the upcoming Rugby World Cup Sevens being hosted at the Cape Town Stadium (purpose built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup), one cannot help but think back to the FIFA World Cup and the ambush marketing tactics on display before and during the tournament. While […]
September 09 2022
Claiming under a life Insurance policy where the deceased body is missing
Introduction: The major events of recent years, particularly in South Africa, including the 2021 July civil unrest and 2022 Durban floods, have brought forth an issue that is not often entertained due to the rarity of such events, and that is whether it is possible to claim under a life policy where the deceased’s body […]
September 08 2022
Parody in South Africa: addressing the Hippo in the room
A recent advertising parody has caused quite a stir at the watering hole, and left consumers questioning whether Hippo.co.za may have been out of line. The advert, which has already garnered over half a million views on YouTube alone, is a parody of OUTsurance’s “saver” advertisements that appears to spoof the original advertisements that featured […]
September 07 2022
Duties of a Conveyancer in South Africa
Signing an offer to purchase is the first step in buying or selling a property. However, for the sale to be completed, a conveyancing attorney is required to facilitate the registration of the transfer of the property from the current owner’s name into the name of the purchaser. In this article, we will look at […]
August 31 2022
I scream, You scream, we all scream for Iceland
What are the boundaries when it comes to registering the name of a place, country, city or town as a trade mark? This is the question that the Grand Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) is set to decide when it hears its first ever oral appeal in a matter […]
August 29 2022
Time for a competition Health Check
The recent raid by the Competition Commission on prominent players in the insurance industry serves as a wake-up call for companies to ensure that their affairs are in order. One way to do so is through a competition health check whereby an independent attorney conducts an assessment to establish whether your company’s policies and practices […]
August 29 2022
PRICE TO PAY IN THE KING PRICE CASE
PRICE TO PAY IN THE KING PRICE CASE: FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH YOUR INSURER’S REQUESTS!! INTRODUCTION On 9 May 2022, the South Gauteng High Court division delivered a judgment in the matter between Zandisiwe Musa (“Musa” hereinafter) and King Price Insurance Company (“King Price” hereinafter). This judgment is significant in many respects, as it highlights […]
August 22 2022
Zambia trade mark bill open to comment
The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry recently requested stakeholder comments on the draft 2022 Zambian Trade Marks Bill. The Bill proposes a number of significant amendments, including provision for service marks, multi-class applications, and an amendment of the registration and renewal terms to 10-year periods. The Bill also expressly recognises collective marks and geographical […]
August 18 2022
South Africa’s Rooibos industry pays out R12.2million to indigenous communities
The pay-out is the first payment as part of a benefit-sharing agreement signed in 2019. The 2019 agreement will result in the indigenous communities sharing in the profits of the rooibos industry, which benefits from the communities’ traditional knowledge and the commercial use of the plant. The 2019 agreement serves as an important acknowledgement of […]
August 18 2022
National Assembly passes COPYRIGHT ACT
On 29 July 2022, the National Assembly passed the Copyright Bill. This follows the passing of the Bill by the House of Representatives on 27 July 2022 and the Senate on 6 April 2022. The new Bill provides for the effective regulation, protection and administration of copyright in the digital economy in line with best […]
August 18 2022
Kenya enacts Finance Act
Kenya’s Finance Act, 2022 was assented into law on 22 June 2022 and gazetted on 8 July 2022. Despite this gazette date, the provisions of this Act came into effect on 1 July 2022. The Act has introduced amendments to various tax statutes including the Income Tax Act, Value Added Tax Act (“VAT”), Excise Duty […]
August 18 2022
New Mozambique Copyright Act
On 29 June 2022, the Assembly of the Republic approved the new Copyright Law of Mozambique, Law 9/2022. The new law will come into force on 26 September 2022. The new Copyright Act is aimed at promoting and safeguarding copyright and related rights, under the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic. In addition to […]
August 18 2022
New Registrar of Companies Launched
President Akufo-Addo recently launched the new Ghanaian Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORCs). The ORC is responsible for company and business registration and also provides advisory services. The function of the ORCs will include making provision for information to be entered into the company’s register, verifying information provided by companies to the registrar and […]
August 18 2022
National Biosafety Authority approves genetically modified (GM) crop in Ghana
The National Biosafety Authority approved the genetically modified cowpea, also known as the black eyed pea, in Ghana. This is the first of the three regulatory approvals that must be obtained before the GM cowpea can be commercialised in Ghana. The next two regulatory hurdles, which can be overcome simultaneously, are the approvals to obtained […]
August 18 2022
WIPO member states approved convening of diplomatic conferences for two proposed international agreements
The 63rd General Assembly of the Member States of WIPO took place at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland in July. On 22 July 2022, WIPO member states approved the convening of diplomatic conferences for two proposed international agreements. The proposed agreements are in respect of the protection of designs to ease cross-border trade and […]
August 18 2022
ARIPO signs MOU with BIPA
The Namibian Industrial Property Act of 2012, which came into effect on 1 August 2018, introduced substantive examination of patent applications in Namibia. On 10 June 2022, at the Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Conference held in Ezulwini in the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding […]
August 18 2022
Can a parent claim maintenance for an adult dependent child
In many broken marriages the parties elect to remain married until their children have reached the age of majority or left the matrimonial home to obtain a tertiary education. The reality of the situation is, however, that many children between the age of 18 and 22 or even older in some instances, are still in […]
August 16 2022
Transfer and Conveyancing Fees in South Africa
If you are in the process of purchasing a home, then you are probably wondering what all the additional fees are. The fact is that there are a number of fees you must budget for when purchasing a home. Some of the fees you can expect to pay include Deeds Office fees, transfer duty and […]
August 12 2022