The Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB) issued public notices calling for the renewal of expired trade mark registrations. The notices, which were published in the New Vision newspaper on 25 May 2021 and 15 June 2021, call upon proprietors of expired trade mark...
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Uganda – Trademark Regulations Amendment
On 5th February 2021, Uganda published their Trademark (Amendment) Regulations No. 9 of 2021 (the Amendment))[1] which amends Trademark Regulations No.58 of 2012 (the Regulations). The Amendment brings changes that address shortcomings to some practical aspects of...
ARIPO – Accession of The Republic of Seychelles to the Harare Protocol
The President of the Republic of Seychelles H.E. Wavel Ramkalawan, signed the instrument of accession to the Harare Protocol on 26th August 2021 which was received by ARIPO on 1 October 2021. As such, the Republic of Seychelles will become the 21st ARIPO Member State...
Zanzibar – Yimei Hotel vs MHG IP Holding
In November 2018, Yimei Hotel Management (Shenzhen) Limited (“the Applicant”) applied to register trade mark no. ZN/S/2018/461 as a service mark in class 43. The mark was published for opposition purposes and an opposition was filed against its registration by MHG IP...
South Africa – Copies of Supporting Documents Now Accepted by the Registrar of Patents
Traditionally, formal documents (i.e. Forms P.3/D.3, P.26 and assignments) for filing in support of patent and design applications had to be executed by way of an original/wet signature. However, the Registrar has recently issued a practice note setting out a number...
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...
OAPI – Launch of Pilot Project to Test a New Online System Delayed
In December 2020, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) announced the launch of a pilot project to test a new online filing system (e-filing platform). The initial plan was to test the system amongst 6 firms (including our local Associate office)...
Nigeria Registry Publishes First Ever Editions of the Patents and Design Journals
The Trade marks, Patents and Designs Registry in Nigeria recently published the first ever editions of the Patents and Design Journal. The Journals, titled Vol. 1, No. 1 and Vol. 1, No.2, were published on 17 and 26 March 2021, respectively, with opposition dates 60...
Nigeria – Update on the Nigerian Copyright Bill
The Nigerian Copyright (Repeal) Bill 2015, which was approved by the Nigerian Federal Executive Council in 2018, was presented to the Nigerian National Assembly for approval and enactment into law on 6 July 2021.[1] The Copyright Bill is purported to be aimed at...
Kenya – Update on the Anti-counterfeit Regulations
The Anti-Counterfeit (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (Legal Notice no. 117) and the Anti-Counterfeit (Recordation) Regulations, 2021 (Legal Notice no. 118) were jointly published by the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise...
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