News & Insights
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
Adams’ Anti-Counterfeiting Team deals another blow to manufacturers of counterfeit engine lubricant and oil products
After thorough investigations by the firm’s internal private investigators, the Anti-Counterfeiting Team of Adams & Adams recently collaborated with the HAWKS (SAPS) in two provinces to clamp down on syndicates dealing in counterfeit engine lubricant and oil products. In the first operation in Gauteng, the team managed to identify and take down a manufacturing facility where […]
August 12 2022
Department beefs up enforcement of Regulations
It has been just under a month since the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development released a directive warning that certain meat analogue products are in contravention of local regulations relating to the packaging and labelling of processed meat products in SA (Regulation 1283 of 2019) in that they bear product names reserved […]
August 03 2022
Partial Patent Waiver for COVID-19 vaccines
Participating countries attending the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland reached an agreement on 17 June 2022 to partially waive intellectual property restrictions on the manufacture and production of COVID-19 vaccines for the next five years. The partial waiver provides that developing nations may authorise the use of the […]
August 02 2022
Exceptions should only be taken in exceptional circumstances
Rule 23 of the Uniform Rules of Court enables a litigant, within the time-period afforded of course, to deliver an exception in response to a pleading. An exception can be filed when a pleading is considered vague and embarrassing; or if it lacks averments which are necessary to sustain an action or a defence. A […]
July 27 2022
LEGAL DUTY OF CARE OWED BY TAVERNS TO CUSTOMERS
Most taverns are notoriously known for their unsafety and violent activities. Serious assaults, bar fights, and sometimes deaths are not necessarily unheard of in taverns. Most societies have come to accept such occurrences at taverns. As a consequence of this acceptance, most incidents are not reported. In recent weeks, South Africa has seen a worrisome […]
July 21 2022
REPUBLIC OF CAPE VERDE BECOMES 22nd ARIPO MEMBER STATE
After signaling its intention earlier this year to join ARIPO, the Republic of Cape Verde deposited its instruments of accession to ARIPO. The Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry, Hon. Alexandre Monteiro, presented the instruments of accession to the Director General of ARIPO, Mr Bemanya Twebaze at a ceremony held at the Embassy of Cape […]
July 18 2022