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Spoor & Fisher

Ghana: A new IP office

The Ghanaian authorities have published an important bill, the Ghana Industrial Property Office Bill, 2023 (the Bill).

The purpose of the Bill is to establish a new IP office, the Ghana Industrial Property Office (GHIPO).

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Clyde & Co.

Intellectual property in Tanzania: Trade mark distinctiveness

Trade mark distinctiveness is a crucial element to consider when creating a strong brand identity for products or services. A strong trade mark has the potential to enhance a company's reputation and sway consumer choices. It is not just the marketing appeal that ma..

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Adams & Adams

Back to College at the Supreme Court of Appeal

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) of South Africa recently delivered a judgment in a trade mark infringement case between iCollege (Pty) Ltd (“iCollege”) and Xpertease Skills Development and Mentoring CC (“Xpertease”). The Court found that Xpertease’s use of a mark that c..

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Adams & Adams

One work to rule them all?

Battle lines have recently been drawn, after fan fiction writer, Demetrious Polychron, filed a 250-million-dollar lawsuit against the Tolkien Estate and Amazon on the basis of copyright infringement. Mr Polychron claims that his novel The Fellowsip of the King, which draw..

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Webber Wentzel

South Africa's Potential Copyright Calamity

South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill and Performers Protection Amendment Bill could potentially harm rather than help the creative industry and needs serious reconsideration.

Copyright serves two broad functions in society. It reassures business and investors th..

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Goldsmiths Solicitors

Trademarks in Nigeria: Registration, Infringement and Enforcement

A Trademark is a unique sign or mark that distinguishes the goods and services of one business from another. A mark can either be a device, brand, heading, label, ticket, name, signature, word, letter, numeral, or any combination thereof. Most businesses, companies or org..

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Bowmans

Tanzania: Civil Case No. 7 Of 2019 Ivanna Felix Teri (Plaintiff) Vs. Viettel Tanzania Plc. (Defendant) and Set Up Company Ltd. (3rd Party)

On the 7th of March 2022, the High Court considered the principle of the right to privacy and dignity. In the suit, the Plaintiff claimed a sum of Tshs 800,000,000 as damages for unlawfully using her pictures in marketing and promoting the Defendant's business witho..

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Olaniwun Ajayi

9 Nuggets from the New Copyright Act

On the 17th of March 2023, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria signed the copyright bill into law, as projected in our 2022 IP Wrap-up and 2023 Forward publication. This assent marks the end of the 35-year-old tenure of the old Copyright Act and signals..

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Jackson, Etti & Edu

Nigeria’s Copyright Bill Signed into Law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the Copyright Bill, which is geared towards protecting the rights of authors of original works. This development in Nigeria’s creative industry would ensure that authors receive the proper recognition and financial reward for..

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