The Gambia ratifies the Banjul Protocol on Marks

Gambia flag
On the 3 May 2021, The Gambia deposited its instrument of ratification of the ARIPO Banjul Protocol on Marks with the Director General of  The African Regional Industrial Property Organization(ARIPO)  The country is now the 12th Contracting State to the Protocol. Pursuant to the above, with effect from 3 August 2021, The Gambia will be
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Coffee boom – Plant Variety Protection in Uganda

Uganda coffee exports 2020 UCDA
In 2020, Uganda’s coffee exports grew by 972,962 bags, a 22 percent increase from 2019. According to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), the country’s agency mandated to control and market the crop,this increase is the highest since 1991 . Figures released by the UCDA show that exports for the calendar year January 2020 to
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Common Intellectual Property Misconceptions

common myths and misconceptions regarding intellectual property
How well do you understand intellectual property matters? While many people may have a general idea of what patent, copyright and trademark rights protect, there is still a lot of misinformation surrounding the topic. Here, we debunk a few of the most common misconceptions around what intellectual property rights confer and whether to pursue them
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Development of intellectual property principle in Tanzania: A lesson in the JC DECAUX SA case

Recently the High court of Tanzania developed a new principle to cure the gaps under section 31 and 32 of the Trade and Service Marks Act.  The decision aimed to extend the scope of the two sections of which should be interpreted to substantiate the justice between the parties and not to embark miscarriage of justice. A proprietor cannot claim exclusive right of the mark prior registered if the mark registered is confusing similar to the mark widely used and known trade mark while aware about the existence of the same.
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Guide to trademark opposition in Nigeria.

An opposition is a formal objection to the registering of a trademark. A trademark Opposition is an administrative procedure in which a party objects or opposes the registration of a trademark by another. Notice of Opposition is filed in writing by the opposing party in the format prescribed by the Trademark Act within two months from the date of publication of the proposed mark in the trademark journal.
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Comparative Innovation Analysis – Kenya and South Africa

Overall, Kenya and South Africa are two of the biggest and most innovative economies on the continent.  Since 2014, Kenya has been ranked as a lower middle income country because its per capita GDP crossed a World Bank threshold. While Kenya has a growing entrepreneurial middle class and steady growth, South Africa is an upper middle-income emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; and a stock exchange that is Africa’s largest and among the top 20 in the world.
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A guide to patent registration in Nigeria

A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, a product, or process providing or offering a new practical solution to a problem or dilemma. Patent application in Nigeria is regulated by the Patents and Design Act Cap P2 LFN 2004. A patent gives the inventor the exclusive right to exclude others from producing, using, or selling the patented invention in Nigeria without the patent owner's consent or being permitted by law, for the duration of 20 years subject to payment of annuities.
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A guide to trademark registration in Nigeria.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation with the largest economy in the continent and a fast-growing services sector with an increasing need for consumer goods.  This, among other factors, makes trademark registration very important in this economy.
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Registration of trademark licence agreement.

In Nigeria, under the Trade Marks Act (TMA), a Trademark Licence Agreement may be registered by the licensee and the registered proprietor. The Trade Marks Act does not use license but describes it as a “right of use” or "permitted use" of a trademark. In the TMA such license agreement are known as the Registered User Agreement.
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