Prosecution

We are proud to see Inventa recognized in the Leaders League ranking of the best firms in Portugal for 2023 in "Trademark Prosecution" (Leading Firm), "Patent Prosecution" (Leading Firm) and "IP Litigation" (Highly Recommended Firm) categories, with a particular highlight on the performance of Vítor Palmela Fidalgo, Vítor Sérgio Moreira, and João Pereira Cabral.

Due to increasing competition between companies in multiple countries, trademarks have become essential in commercial activities and represent a great value to the success of a business, as they distinguish its products or services from those of competitors. 

In Angola, like in many other countries, trademarks are an important part of the trade dynamic and are protected by law, under the Intellectual Property Act, Law No. 3-92 of February 28, 1992. 

Vitor Moreira’s latest article provides valuable information on patent applications, with a particular focus on prominent applicants in light of recent technological advances.

Published in IP Stars, Vitor also analyses The Patent Index, published by the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2022, revealing the top 10 countries for European patent applications, as well as the technical fields with the most patent applications in the same year.

This new route in the patent system offers a new era of simplified and cost-effective patent protection in Europe.

Take a look at our guide about the Unitary Patent (UP) system and delve into the potential advantages it offers.

Inventa's team has been contributing to the updating of several chapters related to African jurisdictions in the Manual IP, published annually by Wolters Kluwer International Group.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) made available new forms of support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the European Union. The SME Fund call for proposals is supported by the European Commission and the EUIPO, taking the form of IP vouchers that will co-finance IP-related activities.

In addition to the previously available vouchers (1 and 2), the following are now eligible:

Introduction

Africa has two Regional Patent Offices, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) which may provide access to patent protection in a significant set of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The trademark application for the world-renowned Burberry check pattern was partially refused for virtual clothing, accessories and other services.

The reason? According to the EUIPO, the lack of distinctive character.

Ikea, the Swedish furniture retailer with hundreds of stores around the globe, has threatened legal action against the developer of The Store Is Closed, a survival horror video game that takes place in an Ikea-like store.

The game's lone developer studio based in the UK, who goes by the name ‘Ziggy’, released a successful Kickstarter campaign and a trailer for the game on YouTube, which quickly went viral.

One of the most notable events for women in current affairs this year is undoubtedly the popular uprising in Iran. Uniting women and men from the country and around the world under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom," Iranian women have brought the issue of women's status at the center of the international community discussions.