Watches and Surveillance

Financial technology (fintech) encompasses many innovations, including mobile payment platforms, blockchain-based solutions, algorithmic trading systems, and peer-to-peer lending platforms, among others.

The protection of fintech innovations is critically dependent on a robust framework of intellectual property (IP) rights. These include patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, all of which are instrumental in safeguarding unique technologies, business practices, and brand identities essential for progress.

(Article originally written in Portuguese)

Important compromise on interpretation in the EU

In March 2024, the European Union Intellectual Property Offices that are part of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) published a Common Communication on Trademark Applications Made in Bad Faith, establishing yet another understanding aimed at increasing legal certainty and predictability of decisions.

The Doha Round represents the latest series of trade negotiations among WTO members, officially launched at the WTO's Fourth Ministerial Conference in Qatar in 2001. Its goal is to substantially reform the global trade system by reducing trade barriers and revising rules across approximately 20 trade-related areas, including intellectual property matters such as rights protection, affordable access to medicines, flexibility within the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, the promotion of technology transfer, and more.

When CultureTree's tweet and hashtag #Yorubaisnotforsale went viral, it ignited an online debate about whether registering a trademark name for an ethnic group is cultural appropriation.

The Yoruba people – who live mainly in Benin, Nigeria and Togo – represent around 35 million people in Africa, making them one of the largest ethnic groups on the continent. Most are from Nigeria, where they represent up to 15.5% of the country’s population.

The online system enters in force on 18th December of 2017.

On 18th December, the online registrations for all trademarks, patents, renewals and recordals (change of address, name and assignment) will enter in force in Tanzania, meaning that the manual system for filing applications at the Registry will no longer be applicable.

By having an online system, the same will ease the workload at the Registry and the time for registration will be faster.

IP assets are becoming increasingly more important to companies worldwide and regarding several business activities. The geographic scope of the enforcement of these rights knows no frontiers as companies keep battling it out over IP assets in various countries worldwide.

Fashion: Gucci vs. Guess