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Africa & Middle East

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.

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.

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.

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14 Jan 2021

How to proceed when a trademark is about to be granted in Cape Verde

Receiving an official notification for the payment of registration fees indicates that an application is soon to be granted. However, between paying the fees and receiving the registration certificate, there are crucial steps that the applicant must consider. 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

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

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

Anti-Counterfeiting

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26 Nov 2020

Kenya publishes new guidebooks on fighting fakes

The National Council on the Administration of Justice and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers prove that a multi-agency approach is key to fighting counterfeits in the country. 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

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

Brand management

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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

23 Nov 2020

Computing and software brands share price plunge continues downward pressure on WTR Brand Elite performance

The WTR Brand Elite indices registered a two-point drop in the month ending 30 September – their first fall in seven months. The latest results returned a similar decline. Read more

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

16 Nov 2020

“We remain strong” – INTA CEO pledges togetherness as 2020 Annual Meeting begins

The 2020 INTA Annual Meeting officially kicked off earlier today, with the association’s CEO declaring that “not celebrating the Annual Meeting has never been an option” and declaring that 2021 looks “bright” for the industry. Read more

Enforcement and Litigation

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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

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

6 Nov 2020

Gap criticised for election tweet; INTA Annual Meeting looms; EUIPO cooperation success – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at Volkswagen being the most tattooed car brand, INTA collaborating with Nigeria for IP training, Cambodia destroying counterfeit medicines, and much more. 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

Government/Policy

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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

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

15 Oct 2020

Innovation at WIPO: spotlight on alternative dispute resolution at IP offices

An exclusive guest post on how WIPO has been working with global IP offices to promote the advantages of alternative dispute resolution services. 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

Law Firms

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23 Sep 2020

Money saving tips, Asia top filers, UDRP review: WTR’s autumn edition now available

In a bumper edition we present budget management tips, reveal the top law firm and corporate filers in key jurisdictions across Asia, analyse the findings of our survey on non-legal trademark services, and much more. Read more

18 Sep 2020

Thomas Cook brand relaunched; ‘rip off’ Teddy Fresh clash; Lady A legal fight continues – news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at industry groups teaming up to fight pirates, a call for fake pharmaceutical stories, IP Australia announcing a new indigenous knowledge initiative, and much more. 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

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

IP Offices

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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

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

23 Sep 2020

Saudi Arabia: Building for the future

The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property has become the new sole authority for all IP matters as part of plans to transform the kingdom’s economy. Read more

15 Sep 2020

“Beirut will rise again” – exclusive interview with head of Lebanon IP office

In an exclusive guest post, representatives from Alyafi IP Group speak with the head of the IP Unit at Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy about recovery efforts at the agency following the recent devastating explosion in Beirut. Read more

Online

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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

21 Jul 2020

“The death of trademark” – study finds that AI could adversely affect brand usage

A new research paper has looked at how improvements in AI could affect trademark doctrine – with the academic behind the study claiming that “trademarks may become less important in the future”. Read more

26 Jun 2020

How the virtual boutique finds the middle ground between law firm models

IP attorney Julia Anne Matheson explains why the Potomac Law Group has developed a business model that could shape the future of the trademark industry. Read more

24 Jun 2020

Brand protection challenges of domain management: 83% of companies at risk of hijacking, report shows

An alarming number of major organisations do not have sufficiently protected domains, says a new report, and such risk has significant brand protection implications. Read more

Portfolio Management

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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

25 Aug 2020

Renewal of overdue trademarks in Kenya – what you need to know

Within the context of an initiative to rid its Trademark Register of all unwanted trademark registrations, the Kenya Industrial Property Institute has published a Special Industrial Property Journal listing some 2,000 lapsed registrations. Read more

8 Jul 2020

Enforcement in Africa: key qualities of a continent-wide brand protection strategy

WTR traverses the whole of Africa to provide brand owners with a comprehensive guide to brand protection across the region. Read more

3 Jul 2020

Trademark strategy is an early focus of the world’s top disruptors

Analysis of this year’s disruptor list reveals that these start-ups defy the typical IP filing process. Read more

Trademark law

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30 Jun 2020

Twitter

20 Jan 2021

@WTRmagazine Trump’s Patriot Party: prior trademarks could be “significant hurdle” to new political venture.… https://t.co/DT5Oj8HdpM Read more

20 Jan 2021

@WTRmagazine Iancu bids farewell to USPTO; trademark experts provide wishlist for successor. https://t.co/OPXedxnZhV https://t.co/MNLVoGshHp Read more

20 Jan 2021

@WTRmagazine As Trump administration ends, trademark experts reflect on the highs and lows. https://t.co/XAmIHalPPE https://t.co/Zp4ogLPXS7 Read more

20 Jan 2021

@WTRmagazine IACC urges Biden administration to hit the ground running on intellectual property. https://t.co/jiwk1Krghg https://t.co/aSQWd5LX7r Read more

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Lucy Walker

Partner

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Barker Brettell LLP

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Africa & Middle East

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