Africa Network Meeting 2016
What are we as professionals doing to preserve the legacies and intellectual capital of Africa?
This was the question that renowned actor, director, writer and playwright, John Kani, asked the delegates who had gathered for the 4th Africa IP Network Meeting at the offices of Adams & Adams in Pretoria on 11 August 2016. Kani, who delivered the keynote address, captivated the audience with stories of his upbringing in apartheid South Africa and time in Hollywood – including his latest role as an African monarch in the Marvel Captain America film franchise. “I was cast as an African monarch in a fictional North African kingdom, and I asked them very nicely whether I could speak Xhosa instead of the ‘Tarzan’ dialect that Hollywood loves so much,” he jokes. “We need to think carefully about how we protect and advance our continent’s rich history, legacy and inherent intellectual property.”
It was a sobering thought for the delegates. Adams & Adams has been particularly active in the area of Legacy Intellectual Property rights, with recent work being undertaken for the Steve Biko Foundation by Partner, Darren Olivier, and his team. In welcoming the attendees, both Chairman, Gérard du Plessis and Partner, Simon Brown, stressed the importance of attendees to promptly communicate updates on IP developments and legislative changes in their jurisdictions, in order for the firm to continue to develop best practice IP strategies for its clients. Attendees discussed and debated topical industry matters such as IP commercialisation, the handling of opposition IP proceedings in multiple jurisdictions, Registry practices and search capabilities. High on the agenda was the implementation of the Madrid Protocol – a system of international registrations, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) that allows for the centralised registration and management of trade marks.