Region: Africa & Middle East

THOMAS & FRIENDS decision clarifies nature and purpose of disclaimers

The fact that a term is common does not necessarily mean that a disclaimer must be entered: the term must be common in relation to the goods or services in question.

26 September 2023

The SANOFI case: Federal High Court issues key ruling on trademark infringement by company names

The judgment will put to bed the conflict between prior registered trademarks and company names in Nigeria.

08 September 2023

Nominate now to recognise the trademark industry’s leading lights

The nominations period is open for the prestigious WTR Industry Awards 2024 and the forthcoming edition of WTR 300: The World’s Leading Corporate Trademark Professionals.

06 September 2023

Formation of unified IP authority sparks new era of brand protection in Egypt

The Egyptian government has marked a "transformative milestone" with the formation of the Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority.

05 September 2023

Well-known perfume companies dealt blow in ‘smell-alike’ case

Several well-known perfume companies - including Armani, Chloe, Hugo Boss, Lancôme and L'Oréal - have lost their trademark infringement case against an Israeli maker of ‘smell-alike’ perfumes.

04 September 2023

Egypt’s authority for intellectual property: a new dawn

Following the launch of its National IP Strategy in 2022, Egypt has now issued a new law relating to the establishment of the Egyptian Intellectual Property Agency.

25 August 2023

2024 Industry Awards and WTR 300 nominations – now open

Don't miss out on the chance to honour the luminaries of the trademark industry.

23 August 2023

Can a registered company name amount to infringement and passing off of a trademark?

A recent case emphasises the need to align the register of companies and the register of trademarks as regards the reservation of company names.

15 August 2023

Supreme Court of Appeal strongly criticises High Court decision in ‘iCollege’ dispute

The ruling highlights the importance of a thorough and holistic assessment of trademarks in infringement cases.

28 July 2023

Proposed trademark online filing platform: why the stakes are high

While a new platform has recently been proposed, a failure to properly address the failings of the current platform would represent a disaster for trademark prosecution in Nigeria.

26 July 2023

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