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Never miss a beat on Africa's legal and regulatory landscape.

Spoor & Fisher

Kenya: 1 January 2023 deadline approaching to file recordals

Kenya has specific anti-counterfeiting legislation, the Anti-Counterfeiting Act No. 13 of 2008, as well as a dedicated anti-counterfeiting body, the Anti-Counterfeiting Authority (ACA)...

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Adams & Adams

New Mozambique Copyright Act

On 29 June 2022, the Assembly of the Republic approved the new Copyright Law of Mozambique, Law 9/2022. The new law came into force on 26 September 2022.

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Spoor & Fisher

New trade mark legislation in Zambia – The Trade Marks Bill 2022

Zambia has published the Trade Marks Bill 2022 (‘the Bill’) that will, when passed, fundamentally change Zambian trade mark law. It should be noted that it is unclear what stage this bill has reached in parliament.

 

As anyone who has filed trade mark..

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Adams & Adams

Parody in South Africa: addressing the Hippo in the room

A recent advertising parody has caused quite a stir at the watering hole, and left consumers questioning whether Hippo.co.za may have been out of line.

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ENSafrica

Colour trade marks: another purple patch?

The issue of colour trade marks rears its head from time to time. In theory, it’s very simple – a colour (or a colour combination) can function as a trade mark and can be registered as a trade mark. But many things are great in theory.

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Spoor & Fisher

Heir entitled: death, wills, and intellectual property legacies

Death and taxes are inevitable, but how do intangible assets such as trade marks, copyrights and other forms of intellectual property and their related income streams, transfer to heirs in a deceased person’s estate?

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KTA Advocates

Lifestyle Equities CV and Lifestyle Licensing BV v Amazon UK Services Limited and 4 Others (2022) EWCA CIV 552: Question of expediency versus trademark infringement

In a world that is a global village, where the access to internet has undoubtedly
facilitated trade across continents, the position of e-commerce within the legal
framework of protection of intellectual property rights has increasingly become a
basis for recent c..

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Banwo & Ighodalo

Trademark Infringement: Analyzing The Concept Of “Confusingly Similar Trademarks"

The Nigerian Trade Marks Act[1] (Act) prohibits the registration of a trademark which is confusingly similar to an already existing trademark and which is likely to deceive or cause confusion in the course of trade[2]. While the provision of the law couldn’t be any cleare..

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ENSafrica

Trade marks oceans apart

This article discusses the recent South African Supreme Court of Appeal (“SCA”) judgment of Open Horizon Ltd v Carnilinx (Pty)handed down on 26 May 2022.

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