Zimbabwe – ZIPO Making Headway Despite Operational Constraints
Although the Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO) has welcomed the fact that its Industrial Property Automated System (IPAS) is up and running again, the Registry’s operations were severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Zimbabwe is one of the countries entering the third wave and is currently in lockdown. As such, ZIPO is operating with a very limited staff complement.
ZIPO has confirmed that filing receipts will be issued in order of the date of filing and that priority dates on timeously filed applications will be acknowledged. The Registry has also published and circulated its first Journal of 2021 on 6th July 2021. The newly assigned Registry official responsible for the Journal has further advised that they will aim to increase the number of applications published in the Journal and the frequency of the publication, in future.
Newsflash: FCC’s approach to recordation based on international and/or foreign trademark registrations
The Fair Competition Commission (FCC) in Tanzania has clarified that trade mark recordal applications supported by foreign, international, or ARIPO registrations will not be accepted. While the wordin...
June 05 2026
Bitcoin, Barter and the Blockchain: A Critical Reading of Mangundhla v South African Reserve Bank
A Gauteng High Court judgment handed down on 1 June 2026 concludes that Bitcoin is both “capital” and “money” under South Africa’s Exchange Control Regulations. The capit...
June 03 2026
Proof that even IP lawyers need IP lawyers
This week we were reminded of just how easily trade mark infringement can occur online. This time, somewhat ironically, it was our own brand that needed protecting. When searching for Adams & Adam...
June 01 2026