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Africa & Middle East

Staffing concerns and digital downgrades – Nigerian IP Office faces challenges in modernisation effort

Talking to WTR, a local trademark expert claims the Nigerian IP Office’s recently-launched new website has had key features removed and that ongoing staffing problems are impacting the registry’s administrative duties.

18 Mar 2021

Estee Lauder and Walt Disney big performers as WTR Brand Elite stocks continue upward momentum

The WTR Brand Elite project tracks how a defined set of brand-focused companies with industry-leading trademark teams perform against stock market indices.

2 Mar 2021

IP Hall of Fame nominations open; USPTO reflects on future of designs; Philip Morris prevails in Korea – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at Mr Potato Head going gender neutral, Beyond Meat signing new licensing deals, Pink Lady owner defending its trademark, and much more

Latest

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15 Apr 2021

An essential guide to filing trademarks in Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s economy is growing, and with that comes an increase in trademark filings. Here is all you need to know about registering marks in the country. Read more

8 Apr 2021

New company law and recognition of well-known marks - what you need to know

Although Nigeria’s trademark law does not protect unregistered well-known trademarks against similar or identical company names, the owners of such marks may be able to rely on Section 852(1)(d) of the new Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020. Read more

8 Apr 2021

Trademark data reveals South African investment has opened previously closed markets in Mozambique

South African applicants account for the second highest number of trademarks in Mozambique – outranging their US counterparts by branching into previously untouched sectors. Read more

1 Apr 2021

Data reveals significant drop in national registrations in São Tomé and Príncipe

Analysis of trademark filing data over the past 15 years reveals a disproportionately high number of international registrations in the island country of São Tomé and Príncipe – spurred mostly by US software companies such as Apple and Intel. Read more

Anti-Counterfeiting

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26 Jan 2021

New ARIPO director ‘vision for future’; AAFA counterfeit liability call; Boohoo buys Debenhams – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at Nike taking a kick at counterfeit footwear manufacturers, USPTO reopening a comment period on state sovereign immunity, ICANN inviting leadership applications, and much more. Read more

13 Jan 2021

Tracking fakes: revealing the most popular regions for buyers of counterfeit goods

New research from WTR reveals where people searching for counterfeit goods are residing, uncovering a significant difference between brands. Read more

4 Jan 2021

Navigating the Kenya trademark landscape: what the future holds after recent developments

The Intellectual Property Bill 2020 is only the latest in a series of developments that rights holders need to know about when building their brands in Kenya. Read more

30 Dec 2020

Courtroom prowess proves resilience of award-winning Jaguar Land Rover brand

Jaguar Land Rover’s recent prosecution successes send a clear message on how seriously the company considers its IP protection – earning the group tasked with such efforts the WTR Europe, Middle East and Africa Team of the Year Award. Read more

Brand management

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26 Jan 2021

Apple wrestles ‘most valuable brand’ crown from Amazon as diversification drives growth

Apple has replaced Amazon at the top of the Brand Finance Global 500 2021 ranking of the world’s most valuable brands following a stellar 87% increase in brand value over the past year. Read more

26 Jan 2021

WeChat nudges past Ferrari to top brand strength rankings

WeChat has been named the world’s strongest brand in new research from Brand Finance, with Ferrari dropping to second place and Sber moving up to third. Read more

22 Dec 2020

Trademarks during the year of covid: exclusive insights from law firm experts in England and Israel

WTR presents exclusive insights on how the events of 2020 shaped the trademark practice of Chris McLeod from Elkington and Fife and Ronit Barzik-Soffer from Reinhold Cohn Group. Read more

14 Dec 2020

Who are the innovators of the trademark industry? Nominate and have your say

WTR is seeking nominations to recognise the innovators in the trademark industry as part of a new project – and it will only take a couple of minutes to do so. Read more

Enforcement and Litigation

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25 Mar 2021

Decaux v Decaux: High Court affirms legal protection of well-known marks

The Tanzanian High Court has confirmed, for the first time, that the legal protection afforded to well-known marks by far overrides the protection obtained through a mere registration under the Companies Act. Read more

16 Mar 2021

Registration of HILDA device mark limited due to conflict with well-known BARILLA mark

In mixed news for Italian pasta manufacturer Barilla, the Israel Trademark Office has found that the stylised mark HILDA was confusingly similar to the well-known BARILLA mark, but only if used in the same red-and-white colour combination. Read more

4 Mar 2021

Madagascar: the air of mystery extends to trademarks

Obtaining a trademark registration can be very difficult and expensive in Madagascar, as demonstrated by a recent case. Read more

27 Nov 2020

If it looks like a whisky, then it must be a whisky

This judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa should reassure traders in the alcoholic beverages market of the strong protection afforded to them in instances of flagrant unlawful competition. Read more

Government/Policy

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2 Mar 2021

Nigeria’s Trademark Opposition Tribunal finally set in motion

The long-awaited Trademark Opposition Tribunal - which was announced as far back as June 2019 by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment - has finally been commissioned. Read more

27 Nov 2020

“An indelible milestone”: first ARIPO GI registration is step towards Africa-wide regime

An ARIPO spokesperson says that it will “help promote the branding of African products and help them access the global market”. Read more

25 Nov 2020

The two laws set to shake up the Kenyan IP system in 2021

The latest legislative reforms in a series of ongoing improvements to the national IP regime offer welcome news for rights holders in Kenya. Read more

20 Nov 2020

ARIPO elects new director general; INTA elects 2021 president; Mars acquires Kind brand – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at João Negrão being appointed president of the Boards of Appeal at the EUIPO, GoDaddy launching a new IP tool, and much more. Read more

Law Firms

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29 Dec 2020

Trademarks during covid: exclusive insights from law firm experts in Africa

WTR presents insights on how the events of 2020 shaped the trademark practice of Karien Postma and Kay Rickelman at pan-African law firm Spoor & Fisher. Read more

19 Nov 2020

Inclusion in the IP profession; removing formalities requirements; UKIPO on Brexit – INTA 2020 update

As the INTA 2020 Annual Meeting draws to a close, WTR presents observations from the numerous sessions that have taken place over the past few days. Read more

27 Oct 2020

Coca-Cola to discontinue 200 brands; hoax Woolworths causes stir; adidas mulls Reebok sale – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at the boss of Kenya’s Anti-Counterfeit Authority departing following a fake number plate scandal, IP Australia launching a new quality approach, and much more. Read more

9 Oct 2020

Dispelling counterfeit myths, prioritising budgets, navigating political conflicts – WTR Connect week one takeaways

We present highlights and learnings from the first week of WTR Connect, including how to prioritise enforcement budgets, fight fakes on Weixin and navigate brands through turbulent political times. Read more

IP Offices

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29 Mar 2021

Covid-19’s impact and amended Trademark Regulations - what you need to know

This update provides a brief overview of the effects of the covid-19 pandemic in Uganda and gives a peek into the recently amended Trademark (Amendment) Regulations 2021. Read more

24 Mar 2021

Renewal of overdue trademarks in Kenya - an update

As part of the Kenya Industrial Property Institute’s initiative to rid its Trademarks Register of all unwanted registrations, three special journals containing trademarks that were not timeously renewed have now been published. Read more

14 Jan 2021

The digitalisation of trademark records in Nigeria: urgent need for action

While an online filing platform was introduced at the Trademark Registry in 2012, all other stages of processing applications are still conducted manually - and the problems linked to these manual processes only became more pronounced during the recent lockdown. Read more

30 Nov 2020

Ranked: the IP offices with the most accessible web platforms

New data from WTR identifies the national IP offices with websites that are most accessible for users, including those with vision or motor impairment. Read more

Online

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18 Nov 2020

The verdict on virtual exhibits at the 2020 INTA Annual Meeting

With the 2020 INTA Annual Meeting in full swing, WTR speaks with exhibitors at the virtual event to see how their experience compares with previous years and what changes they would like to see at future digital conferences. Read more

8 Sep 2020

Trump trademark approved in Argentina; Beijing IP Court update; Gucci ‘fake not’ collection – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at outrage over a WWE order about names and likenesses, Bumble announcing plans to go public, how counterfeiting remains a problem on Taobao, and much more. Read more

1 Sep 2020

Lebanon IP Office to reopen; GIs return to Brexit forefront; Mel Gibson brand dispute – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at TikTok hosting its first shoppable live-stream, Nestlé finding a buyer for its water business, a counterfeit Nintendo Switch entering the market, and much more. Read more

28 Aug 2020

Coronil trademark twist; IPOS unveils new partnerships; Banjul marks in Mozambique – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at Glossier securing protection for its pink pouch, Pakistan promoting the use of GIs, China issuing opinions for destroying infringing and counterfeit goods, and much more. Read more

Portfolio Management

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25 Nov 2020

Trademark Registry releases two more Trademark Journals

As the covid-19 pandemic continues to cause severe disruption to economies and businesses around the world, Nigeria’s Trademark Registry has defied the odds and released a record number of Trademark Journals. Read more

26 Oct 2020

Uganda launches National Intellectual Property Policy

Uganda has officially launched its National Intellectual Property Policy, which sets out the country’s strategies with regard to IP rights with the aim of achieving its socio-economic development goals. Read more

21 Oct 2020

District Court: there can be no monopoly over the image of a polo player

Israel’s Central District Court has held that the use of the image of a polo player is common in the fashion industry and cannot be monopolised by a single company. Read more

5 Oct 2020

The new online trademark filing platform in Nigeria: more questions than answers

The upgrade of Nigeria’s online filing platform for trademark, patent and design applications, which was initiated in August 2020, has so far raised more issues and concerns than solutions for applicants. Read more

Trademark law

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15 Oct 2020

Twitter

15 Apr 2021

@WTR_Alerts Today's WTR Long Read provides step-by-step advice on how to prepare an IP portfolio for M&A success and avoid comm… https://t.co/iEKhq9N4b5 Read more

14 Apr 2021

@WTR_Alerts RT @lexlanham: should influencers be liable for knowingly accepting payment to promote counterfeit goods? @WTR_Alerts says yes in this op… Read more

09 Apr 2021

@WTR_Alerts RT @WTR_Alerts: Out now - WTR’s first Special Report, charting the rise of mass filers and their impact on trademark ecosystem: https://t.c… Read more

09 Apr 2021

@WTR_Alerts The Long Read-What the rest of the world can learn from Latvia’s dealings with serial filer Michael Gleissner:… https://t.co/oOs7DZtooB Read more