News & Insights
OFFENCE IS THE BEST DEFENCE IN ANTI-COUNTERFEITING | GODFREY BUDELI
Partner in the Anti-Counterfeiting group at Adams & Adams, Godfrey Budeli regularly uses team sport analogies in describing the purpose and successes of his colleagues’ work. “Why not?,” he counters. “As in football, the success of a team depends on correct team placement, and strong leadership.” It’s his ‘captaincy’ that has once again earned him […]
May 02 2018
Five IP lessons from Kanye West
“Cars have four wheels. Hoodies have hoods. It’s amusing to me when someone says this is an original hoodie. Bro… it’s a hoodie ” @kanyewest If you have opened Twitter at all this week you would have no doubt encountered Kanye West’s latest tweets. His tweets are coming thick and fast, covering his musings on […]
April 17 2018
IP for good (beer)
AB InBev offers its patented technology for free to microbrewers after patenting a new brewing innovation The Guardian reports here that AB InBev, the World’s largest brewer, has developed a greener way to put bubbles in beer. This innovation may reduce the company’s CO2 emissions by 5% which is said to be the equivalent to the […]
April 09 2018
How Creatives Can Protect Their IP | The AFI Cape Town Fashion Week
Jean Bruneau talks fashion and IP with David Tlale At the #IPLiveBlog we love partnering with our clients to provide industry-specific advice and information. When African Fashion International (AFI) asked us to get involved to present a masterclass on IP protection for fashion designers at the recent AFI Cape Town Fashion Week, we jumped at the […]
April 03 2018
WHAT ROLE DO IP RIGHTS HAVE IN DISCOURAGING CULTURAL APPROPRIATION?
What role, if any, do intellectual property rights have in discouraging cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation may loosely be defined as the borrowing of elements from a culture without the consent of people belonging to or observing that culture. Cultural appropriation frequently enters mainstream debate in the realm of haute couture. This topic is where the […]
April 03 2018
A 'TUTU' BEAUTIFUL DESIGN BY AN IP-SAVVY DESIGNER
It’s the most beautiful object in South Africa – and it’s protected! Thabisa Mjo’s Tutu 2.0 Pendant Light was recently awarded the illustrious #MBOISA title at Design Indaba 2018. It’s easy to see why it won the accolade – a stunning use of both western and African fashion styles. For the story of Thabisa’s design […]
March 01 2018
Criticising Blockchain Technology Is Like Criticising the Alphabet
In my previous post on blockchain technology I suggested that the impact of blockchain technology on society will be enormous. While there are a number of skeptics out there dismissing the potential impact out of hand, I would argue that criticising blockchain technology is akin to criticising the alphabet. In its time the invention of the alphabet had […]
February 26 2018
HERE'S AN IDEA | EASY GUIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Are you starting, or have you already established a small or medium-sized business? There are many key considerations in relation to IP and governance when setting up a business.Adams & Adams is a proud supporter of initiatives such as the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) and the Business Day TV SME Summit. If you’d like […]
February 21 2018
OF SEE-THRU FENCES AND LIQUORICE ALLSORTS | COCHRANE v M-SYSTEMS
The appellant, Cochrane Steel Products (Pty) Ltd (“Cochrane”), applied for the registration of the mark ‘CLEARVU’ in two classes: Class 6 in relation to “non-electric cables and wires of common metal; metal fences; metal mesh; pipes and tubes of metal; and Class 37 in relation to “building, construction, repair and installation services. The above trade […]
February 19 2018
COMPETITION TRIBUNAL ENDS MASSMART EXCLUSIVE LEASE SAGA
Author: Misha van Niekerk The Massmart exclusive lease saga, which commenced with Massmart’s complaint to the Competition Commission (“the Commission”) in October 2014, has finally come to an end. The Competition Tribunal (“the Tribunal”) yesterday upheld exceptions brought by Pick ‘n Pay, Shoprite Checkers and Spar (“the Excipients”) and dismissed Massmart’s complaint that the Excipients’ […]
February 19 2018
A run(a)way success - literally!
At IPLive, we love start-up success stories – especially when that success involves a client of Adams & Adams. In this case, Clement Mokoenene, a client of Wynand Fourie in our Patents team, has been selected as a national finalist in the Chivas Venture programme. The fund looks for innovative start-ups globally that use business […]
February 13 2018
"A lot of hot air" | An attempt at demystifying blockchain technology
I was at a dinner with some friends from school when a friend told a story about his 60-year-old mother buying R10,000 worth of bitcoin earlier this year which is now worth over R80,000 – some of which she cashed out for a very nice holiday. “This blockchain stuff is a lot of hot air […]
December 12 2017
DOES ADeC's LOGO INFRINGE THE ANC's IP RIGHTS?
A new political party has just emerged in South Africa and it is called the African Democratic Change (ADeC) lead by Dr Makhozi Khoza. Its new logo (above) has caused some outcry and much attention for the new party for obvious reasons. On the left-hand side is the logo of the ANC and on the right-hand side, […]
December 04 2017
Does ADeC's logo infringe the ANC's IP rights?
A new political party has just emerged in South Africa and it is called the African Democratic Change (ADeC) lead by Dr Makhozi Khoza. Its new logo (above) has caused some outcry and much attention for the new party for obvious reasons. On the left-hand side is the logo of the ANC and on the […]
December 04 2017
Listen to IPLive on CliffCentral.com: Episode 1 - Trade Secrets and Coca-Cola
The IPLive team collaborated with the CliffCentral.com to produce a series of podcasts on IP law. The goal of the series is to make IP more accessible and understandable. We’re also hoping that our parents begin to understand what it is we do here too. We hope you give it a listen and give us some feedback […]
November 14 2017
Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain | How will these impact IP law?
Artificial Intelligence and IP Law A recently published White Paper titled “Artificial Intelligence, Human Expertise – How technology and trade mark experts work together to meet today’s IP challenges” is definitely worth a read for anyone interested in AI and how it may effect IP law in the years to come (published by Compumark and […]
November 14 2017
Silverware for IPLive: Jean Bruneau wins the Chris Job Award!
Each year the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (“SAIIPL“) administers and runs the Trade Mark Practitioner examinations. These are practice-based examinations that, if passed, allow the candidate to formally qualify as a Trade Mark Practitioner and automatically become a Fellow of the Institute. These examinations are tough, consisting of a series of introductory […]
November 07 2017
How to fight counterfeiters and create a global brand - Lessons from TRX™
How a Navy Seal fought off copy-cats and created a global empire After featuring a Planet Money podcast episode which focused on resurrecting a famous American brand, we look at another excellent podcast this week: How I Built This with Guy Raz. Some of my favourite episodes so far include the stories behind powerful businesses […]
October 03 2017