Trademarks

Due to their geographical proximity and the fact that they share a common border of 493km, the economic and human relations between Mozambique and South Africa date back a long way.

In Portugal, in the year 2020, the Portuguese IP Office (INPI) received 20.105 national Trademark applications, representing an increase of 1,9% when compared to 2019.

Concerning national patents, 391 applications were filed, which generated an increase of 72,2%, the highest in the last 10 years.

On the other hand, national Design applications stood at 257 cases, decreasing 4,1% when compared to the previous year. 

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country located on the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. The country consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, respectively. The official language is Portuguese due to the Portuguese occupation that lasted until the country’s independence from Portugal in 1975.

The country has more than 200,000 inhabitants and is considered a paradise by many, yet it remains relatively unexplored by the tourism industry.

Global data analysis

After some uncertainty due to the covid-19 pandemic, the first Angolan Intellectual Property Congress is now confirmed to take place both physically and online on 23 and 24 April 2021. It will be backed by the new Angolan Intellectual Law Association (AADI) – located in Angola's Catholic University – and aims to teach attendees about the Angolan Industrial Property Law, with a particular focus on trademarks.

Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. Once a low-income country with an agriculture-based economy, it now has a high income that is centred on tourism, financial services and the trade of textiles and sugar cane. The Financial Times referred to Mauritius as “the island nation (that) aims to reinvent itself as a hub for global investors in Africa, with both China and India as its key partners”.

The registration of trademarks in Mozambique is possible through three different procedures. The first is a national filing directly alongside the Industrial Property Institute (IPI), the second is via the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) (in force since August 15, 2020, after Mozambique joined the Banjul Protocol), and finally, with a registration at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), as Mozambique is member of the Madrid System.

For the past seven years, fashion retailer Truworths has had its eye on the PRIMARK trademark. In 2018 it successfully cancelled Primark Holdings’ UK mark for non-use and in 2019 the company applied for its own version of the mark. Truworths CEO Michael Mark has now announced that it will launch 15 stores in the next few months in an attempt to adapt to changing shopping habits following the covid-19 outbreak.

Background

In a special edition of the Industrial Property Journal, the Industrial Property Institute of Kenya (KIPI) has stated that as of 15 February 2021 it will now publicly notify trademark owners that have not filed a renewal application for their marks but have been notified of the expiry date. What is more, KIPI has listed more than 2,400 expired marks, which it intends to remove from the trademark register.

Sudan is the third largest country on the African continent and the Nile river traverses the country from South to North, while the Red Sea makes Sudan a bridge between Africa and the Middle East.

Endowed with rich natural resources, Sudan was considered the 17th fastest-growing economy in the world in 2010 given the rapid development of the country largely from oil profits, despite international sanctions.

Trademark owners have exclusive rights to exploit their protected goods and/or services, which prevent others from using equal or similar distinctive signs in the jurisdiction in which their rights are valid. In some cases, trademark owners adopt defensive strategies and file trademark applications in classes that are not directly related to their business in order to obtain the widest scope of protection and prevent third parties from filing similar marks that could dilute theirs.