The Gambia Ratifies Banjul But Questions Remain?
On 3 May 2021, the Government of the Republic of The Gambia deposited its Instrument of Ratification to the Banjul Protocol on Marks with the Director General of ARIPO. Accordingly, The Gambia will be eligible for designation under the Banjul Protocol with effect from 3 August 2021.
The ratification of The Gambia to the Protocol brings the total number of Member States party to the Protocol to twelve.
The Gambia’s Industrial Property Act, 1989 (Act No. 12 of 1989) (“the Act”) defines the “ARIPO Protocol” in Section 2 of the act as “the Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs within the framework of ARIPO” and no reference is made to the Banjul Protocol on Marks in the Act. Accordingly, the Act does not yet recognise trade mark rights granted via the ARIPO system. It will therefore be necessary for lawmakers in The Gambia to amend the Act to recognise its obligations under the Banjul Protocol.
For more information about filing in The Gambia or ARIPO, as well as our competitive tariffs, email us at AfricaIP@Adams.Africa
Constitutional Court Delivers Landmark but Incomplete Copyright Ruling. Parliament Must Now Seize the Opportunity to Modernise South Africa’s Copyright Law for the AI Era
JOHANNESBURG — On 26 June 2026, the Constitutional Court of South Africa handed down its long-awaited judgment in Ex Parte President of the Republic of South Africa: In re Constitutionality of the C...
July 13 2026
Newsflash: First-Ever SEP Judgment in Africa – Moroccan Court Interdicts Transsion Smartphone Sales
The Casablanca Trade Court on 6 July 2026 handed down what appears to be Africa’s first standard essential patent (SEP) ruling, interdicting two Transsion Holdings subsidiaries, Tecno Mobile Lim...
July 09 2026
A Slow Burn
The Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill saw additional progress towards the end of June this year. Specifically, the Portfolio Committee on Health adopted a motion of desirab...
July 08 2026