Phone
Email Address
Location
2nd Floor, 34 Fredman Drive, Sandton, South Africa
Darren Olivier
About
- An experienced intellectual property advisor with over 20 years’ experience gained in local and international law firms as well as in-house. Former partner of international firm FieldFisher LLP in London.
- Especially interested in IP management (primarily brands), prosecution, commercialisation and enforcement in Africa but worked for a decade in London, focusing on Europe
- Lead counsel for the BSA The Software Alliance in South Africa
- An editorial board member of Oxford University Press: Journal of Intellectual Property Law &...
Trade Marks
- Technology, internet, and social media law including takedowns
- Exchange control applications
- Intermediary liability
- Searches, Filing & Prosecution
- Commercialisation
- Enforcement
- Franchising
- Piracy & Counterfeiting
- Ambush Marketing
- Advertising Law Services
Patents
- Commercialisation
Copyright
- Commercialisation
- Enforcement
Designs
- Commercialisation
Academic Record
- LLB – Natal University | 1994
- BCom – Natal University | 1992
Qualifications
- Admitted Attorney | 1997
- Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner | 1997
- Qualified Solicitor (England & Wales)
- Qualified European Trade Mark Attorney
Credentials
- Legal Practice Council (LPC) – Member
- International Trade Marks Association (INTA) – Member
- Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) – Member
- South African Institute of Directors (IODSA) – Member
- Listed in WTR Global Leaders: Private Practice | 2019-2021, 2023 – 2024
- AFRO-IP (African Intellectual Property Community) – Co-founder
- Frequent speaker and writer on IP issues
- MIP-IP Stars: Trademarks | 2017 – 2024
- Best Lawyers® – Intellectual Property Law: South Africa |2019-2024
- Best Lawyers® – Lawyer of the Year: Intellectual Property Law, Johannesburg | 2021
- Chambers Global – Ranked Lawyer | 2016 – 2019
- Chambers Global – Intellectual Property: Ranked Band 3|2020 – 2025
- Finance Monthly – Lawyer of the Year: Sports and Entertainment South Africa | 2018
- Finance Monthly – Lawyer of the Year: Copyright South Africa | 2017
- Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards Winners – Lawyer of the Year: Outright Winner in the category of Sport and Entertainment, South Africa | 2017-2018
- Legal 500 – Leading Individuals: Intellectual Property | 2019-2025
- Legal 500- Recommended Individual by The Legal 500 | 2013 – 2018
- Legal 500 – Recommended IP Practitioner | 2018-2019
- Managing IP – IP Stars: Trademarks | 2017-2024
- Who’s Who Legal: Global Leader – Entertainment: South Africa | 2022-2023
- Who’s Who Legal: Global Practice Guides – Sports & Gaming: South Africa | 2015-2022
- Who’s Who Legal : Global Practice Guides -Copyright: South Africa | 2016
- WTR 1000 -Recommended in Prosecution and Strategy|2019-2021
- WTR 1000-Highly Recommended in Prosecution and Strategy|2022-2024
- WTR 1000-Ranked Gold in Prosecution and Strategy |2025
- WTR 1000-Ranked Silver in Enforcement and Litigation|2018
- WTR 1000-Ranked Gold in Enforcement and Litigation|2019-2025
- Who’s Who Legal – Thought Leaders Africa: Trade Marks | 2023-2024
- Who’s Who Legal : Global Practice Guides Trade Marks: South Africa | 2017-2019, 2021-2022
- World Intellectual Property Review – WIPR Leaders: Trade Marks | 2018-2024
- WTR 1000 – Ranked Recommended in Transactions | 2018-2025
- WTR Global Leaders: Private Practice | 2019-2021, 2023-2024
- Corporate Vision Magazine Corporate Excellence Awards – Leading Trade Mark Litigation Specialist: South Africa | 202
Awards & Accolades
Darren Olivier News & Podcasts
View All
Covid-19 - its legislative effect on South Africa, with a focus on the IP industry
The enforcement of “lockdown” by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 27 March brings with it much uncertainty and unchartered territory, in all aspects of life. The full extent of this worldwide pandem...
April 14 2020
OF SEE-THRU FENCES AND LIQUORICE ALLSORTS | COCHRANE v M-SYSTEMS
The appellant, Cochrane Steel Products (Pty) Ltd (“Cochrane”), applied for the registration of the mark ‘CLEARVU’ in two classes: Class 6 in relation to “non-electric cables and wires of com...
February 19 2018
DOES ADeC's LOGO INFRINGE THE ANC's IP RIGHTS?
A new political party has just emerged in South Africa and it is called the African Democratic Change (ADeC) lead by Dr Makhozi Khoza. Its new logo (above) has caused some outcry and much attention ...
December 04 2017