News & Insights
OAPI - Establishment of collaborative work platforms
A ceremony to launch the third series of round tables on the establishment of collaborative work platforms between universities and research centers in OAPI member states was held on 16 June 2022. The project aims to identify specific avenues and themes for the creation and improvement of national innovation frameworks between the private and research […]
July 13 2022
African Development Bank to establish African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation
The African Development Bank has approved the establishment of the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation, which aims to promote Africa’s access to technologies for the manufacture of medicines, vaccines and other pharmaceutical products. The African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation will be hosted by Rwanda and will include experts on pharmaceutical innovation and development, intellectual property rights and […]
July 13 2022
OAPI - Abidjan ministerial conference on Geographical Indications
The opening ceremony of the Abidjan Ministerial Conference on Geographical Indications was held on 3 June 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and was attended by the Ministers of the 17 member states of OAPI, the Diplomatic Corps, the Director General of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of France, and the Deputy Director General […]
July 13 2022
Nigeria to launch a blockchain-based intellectual property exchange marketplace
The Nigerian government has entered into a 3-year exclusive intellectual property right agreement with Developing Africa Group (DAG), a UK-based intellectual property rights commercialisation organisation, to build a national wallet for the commercialization of registered intellectual property. Users in Nigeria will be able to upload any registered intellectual property rights to the platform where they can trade, […]
July 13 2022
NIGERIA - Court rules that National Broadcasting Commision cannot regulate advertising
The Federal High Court in Lagos has held that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) acted beyond its powers by seeking to regulate advertising in Nigeria, which is contrary to the provision of the Advertising Practitioners Act of 2004. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa held that the NBC lacks the power to prohibit exclusivity on privately acquired intellectual […]
July 13 2022
NIGERIA - Brand Africa 100 awards
Brand Africa hosted the 12th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands 2022 awards in Lagos, Nigeria on 26 May 2022, ranking the top 100 most admired brands in Africa. African brands have increased by 4-17% from an all-time low of 13% in 2020 and 2021. South Africa’s lifestyle footwear brands, Bathu ranked at number 52 and Drip at number […]
July 13 2022
Zambia makes trade mark data available online
The Patents and Companies Registration Agency of Zambia (PACRA) has made its trade mark data of more than 60 000 trade marks available online on the TMview search tool from 13 June 2022. TMview now contains data from 77 participating offices and provides information and access to more than 106,5 million trade marks. TMview was […]
July 13 2022
KENYA - MultiChoice Kenya wins court battle against piracy
MultiChoice Kenya has won a court battle against internet service providers Safaricom and Jamii Telecom after the High Court issued a directive ordering them to take down pirated content. MultiChoice Kenya filed the case in 2019 seeking to compel the internet service providers to block live streaming of sports on its networks after it had […]
July 13 2022
To Substitute, or Not to Substitute: When will the court grant a substitution order?
The South African courts have seen a rise in litigation dealing with substitution orders, within the area of public procurement law, since the seminal Constitutional Court judgement of Trencon Construction (Pty) Limited v Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited 2015 (5) SA 245 (CC) (“Trencon”). Despite this rise, it would seem that orders of […]
July 06 2022
INSURANCE LAW: SIGNIFICANCE OF FIRE INSURANCE AS WINTER WILDFIRES LIKELY TO BREAKOUT
As if there have not been enough fires in the country for 2022, there is an expected rise in wildfires as the winter season is in full swing. With strong and harsh winds that naturally come in the month of July, wildfires are to be expected and businesses and individuals alike will need to be […]
July 05 2022
THE LAUNCH OF THE LEGAL SERVICES OMBUD IN SOUTH AFRICA
Most South Africans are not aware of the different platforms available to them in situations when they are aggrieved by the conduct of a legal practitioner. Some of these platforms are more expensive than others, depending on various factors which differ from case to case. One of the most recently introduced platforms is the Legal […]
June 28 2022
Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyers: Why They Are Important for Success
Mergers are complicated and to be properly implemented they require mergers and acquisitions lawyers that have a lot of experience and knowledge of the legalities surrounding mergers. Whether it is to draft and implement agreements between the merging companies, or to assist in the compliance of the merger, a mergers and acquisitions lawyer is essential. […]
June 27 2022
The Laws and Acquisitions in South Africa: Types of Acquisitions
In the world of corporate finance, an acquisition is considered to be a transaction in which an individual or entity (company) purchases some or all of the shares of a business. In South Africa, mergers and acquisitions are in part regulated by the Companies Act No 71 of 2008 (Companies Act). Acquisitions are a popular […]
June 27 2022
Answering the Question: What Are the Different Types of Trade Marks?
The registration of trade marks under the Trade Marks Act, 1993 (Act 194 of 1993), can be vital to the success and protection of your brand. In South Africa, a trade mark is registered with theCompanies and Intellectual Property Commission (“CIPC”), beingthe national authority that is responsible for the national trade mark register for South […]
June 21 2022
Conveyancing Attorneys: What They Do and Why You Need One
Buying a new home or property is an exciting prospect; however, the process may seem complicated and many do not fully understand the costs involved. In this article, we will discuss how conveyancing fees work, but more importantly, whether you need a conveyancing attorney and what a conveyancing attorney does. What Do Conveyancing Attorneys Do? […]
June 21 2022
Trade Marks: Overview of procedure and fees
It goes without saying that it is extremely important to protect your brand and the trade marks signifying it. Registration of your trade marks will serve to deter potential infringement and will offer an easy remedy in instances of actual infringement. Registering your trade marks correctly and securing adequate protection can, however, be a daunting […]
June 21 2022
Types of Intellectual Property: Trade Marks
A trade mark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods / services of one entity from that of another. In other words, it is allows for a product or service to be identified as belonging to an individual or business and functions to distinguish the particular goods / services from those of others in […]
June 21 2022
DELICTUAL LIABILITY FOR SPORTS’ INJURIES AND FATALITIES
Delictual claims ordinarily dominate our courts. This is evident from the annual statistics relating to legal claims against various organs of the State and departments of government. Not only do such claims get instituted against public entities, but there are also various claims of such nature against private institutions. What is seldom, however, is to […]
June 15 2022