Jani Cronjé

With the emergence of Gen Z Slang, spoken by the generation born between 1997 and 2012, you would be forgiven for feeling cheugy (read “someone who is out of date”) when the language of these “digital natives” flies right over your head (the authors included, who, without giving our ages away, sit as bookends of […]

In today’s increasingly digital world, safeguarding intellectual property rights online is more crucial than ever. A prominent threat to these rights is the ability of third parties with nefarious intentions, to “set up shop” with relative ease, in the online market space. This practice can severely damage a brand’s reputation, dilute its identity, and create […]

Ask any fragrance enthusiast what they would like for Christmas this year and chances are they will say, “a bottle of the latest Sol de Janeiro product, please”. This U.S. skincare and fragrance brand, inspired by the vibrant culture of Brazilian beaches and with its signature almond and vanilla scent, has recently taken social media […]

Hippo Advert Found Not Suitable For Children Valentine’s Day for Hippo was slightly unconventional this year. Instead of chocolates, flowers and dinner at a fancy restaurant, it involved onions, petroleum jelly, hot chillies and a decision passed down by the Advertising Regulatory Board (the ‘ARB’), the body responsible for regulating the content of advertising in […]

Round 3 was decided with Clover winning the war (despite losing a battle along the way) after a favourable decision was recently churned out by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).  Readers may remember that the writer first reported in June 2021 that Clover’s urgent application to interdict the use of STORK BUTTER SPREAD by […]

Ed Sheeran’s victories continue to multiply, after a New York jury recently ruled that his song, Thinking Out Loud, does not infringe the copyright of well-known American song, Let’s Get It On, written by Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend. This 100-million-dollar claim was first brought by Townsend’s heirs in 2017 against Sheeran, his records label, […]

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 […]

“There are only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music – coincidence is bound to happen if 60 000 songs are being released every day…that’s 22 million songs a year and there are only 12 notes that are available”. Ed Sheeran’s words certainly ring true, in light of the momentous victory […]

Copyright infringement hearings have certainly taken on a new meaning, after well-known musician, Ed Sheeran, recently performed bars of his hit, Shape of You, before the High Court in London in an effort to prove that portions of the chart-topper were not copied from an existing musical work. Mr. Sheeran is currently embroiled in a […]

On 31 August 2020, companies in the McDonald’s group filed a lawsuit against the Hungry Jack’s franchise in the Australian federal court. The Hungry Jack’s chain, founded by fast-food mogul Jack Cowin in 1971, consists of approximately 400 stores across Australia (in comparison to McDonald’s estimated 970 stores). These conglomerates have had a tenuous relationship […]

With day (who can remember) of lockdown arriving, your phone chirps excitedly, reporting “your homework” which has arrived for next week, ready to be downloaded and printed in advance.  Yes, best to be prepared! The writer is sure that every parent out there will now be able to update their LinkedIn profile and more specifically […]