Prosecution

After COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Botswana, the government decreed a new lockdown, since July, 31. Therefore, the Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) IP Division is closed and will not receive any electronic filings and payments for all patents, trademarks, industrial designs and all other IP applications, until further notice.

- Previous applications: This procedure also applies to applications that have been received before the closure and will be processed only after the office reopens.

The Industrial Property Law of Mozambique (31 December 2015) established the requirement to submit a declaration of intention to use (DIU) for trademarks. Unlike other Lusophone jurisdictions (eg, Portugal or Angola), where use of a mark is mandatory for the goods and/or services identified, the DIU system maintains the exclusive rights to a mark regardless of whether it is being used in the territory.

Although the use of trademarks, as a means to distinguish the goods of merchants and manufacturers, dates back to antiquity, the emergence of service marks is significantly more recent.

Nigeria is the seventh most populated country in the world and Africa's largest economy, with a gross domestic product estimated at $508 billion. The country produces oil and gas and is continuing to grow in other sectors (eg, agriculture, telecommunications and services). However, Nigeria still follows the 1965 Trademarks Act and the 1967 Trademarks Regulations, which are outdated and lack the rules to meet the existing needs of local and foreign trademark owners in the jurisdiction. Fortunately, this looks set to change.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines the ‘green economy’ as “the low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive economy”.

Inventa International has been recognized by the Leaders League in 2020 Portugal Ranking in 3 categories: Best Firms for Trademark Prosecution, Best Firms for Patent Prosecution and Best Law Firms for IP Litigation.

In an era where millions of content creators are uploading their works online, copyright infringement has become very easy, being as simple as uploading a TikTok video or making an Instagram Story.

The majority of IP practitioners have had to adapt their routines to the current pandemic and create new working habits. This has meant remote working, which is running smoothly thanks to the availability of online tools and access to IP asset management platforms. Many IP offices have had to implement different practices, which has been challenging as some cases require immediate response. This article focuses on the obstacles raised by the covid-19 pandemic with regard to the administrative processes of IP rights in Cape Verde.

On June 15, Kenya Industrial Property Institute publishes a Special Industrial Property Journal regarding new trademark rules. Under Section 23 of the Trademarks Act, all trademarks registration expires after ten (10) years, however, a proprietor of a registered trademark can always apply for its renewal.

In sum:

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) was established in 1976 under the Lusaka Agreement. It is an intergovernmental association, which brings together jurisdictions to cooperate in IP matters and bolsters IP protection for its members by facilitating proceedings, simplifying formality requirements, and providing an online register and an online gazette. The member states are Botswana, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.