Zipo: Making Headway Despite Operational Constraints
Although the Zimbabwean Registry 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 as ZIPO is now running on a limited staff complement.
The Controller of Patents, Trade Marks & Industrial Designs has however assured practitioners that the remaining staff are hard at work trying to manage the backlog and that they hope to receive some extra hands to relieve the pressure in the coming days. ZIPO further 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. It is anticipated that most filing receipts (in order of the date of filing) will be made available on 24 May 2021 and the next Journal is expected to be published at the latest in June 2021.
Key takeaways from Kenya’s new Intellectual Property Bill
The administration of intellectual property in Kenya is currently fragmented. The Kenya Industrial Property Institute (“KIPI”) administers patents, trade marks, utility models and industrial desig...
July 21 2026
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...
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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