IP Rights

In Geneva, on June 17, ministers, and delegates at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) reached an agreement on a series of key trade initiatives. The deal represents a breakthrough for the Organisation which has created one agreement between all 164 members in its 27-year existence to date.

Although the religious texts do not refer to Intellectual Property (IP), religions are connected to IP.

In a more evident way, religions’ influence on IP ranges from discussing and approving IP laws to registering and using trademarks. In a less obvious way, we observed a displacement of religion in trademarks, through consumerism. Like religions, well-known brands, such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, became ideological structures that shape our ways of being and doing, filling the void left by the withdrawal of the main religions of a partially desacralized world.

Kenya has taken recent measures regarding anti-counterfeiting to be implemented by the Anti-Counterfeiting Authority (ACA). The ACA’s Public Notice (No.1/2022), issued on 26 April 2022, established that all IP rights for goods imported into Kenya must be recorded with the ACA starting July 1, 2022. This applies to all imported goods freed of where the IP right is registered. The second Public Notice (No.2/2022) states the deadline extension to submit a mandatory record to 1 January 2023. Not complying with the legislation can lead to legal consequences.

According to the World Health Organization, Africa accounts around 42% of the world’s counterfeit drugs. As we see counterfeiting and other illicit trade an ongoing problem in the continent, what challenges exist and what has been done to tackle this problem?

Promoted by Wolter Kluwer, Martin Luten, from  Arnold & Siedsma, interviewed Vera Albino, who explained some of the mechanisms used to enforce IP rights in Africa, efforts made by governments to put legal frameworks in place, as well as precautionary measures that a brand owner can take.

Published in IP Stars, Diana Pereira and Inês Sequeira approach some changes that are taking place in Cape Verde’s IP landscape, explaining some of the policies and strategic plans recently adopted aiming at building a stronger IP system for the country.

Read the full article here.

Inventa joined the Innovation & IP Forum and Awards on May 31, 2022, in Paris. Organized by the Leaders League, this event is dedicated to discussing global challenges and opportunities related to in patent, trademark, IT,  IP litigation and other related IP rights.

Represented by Diogo Antunes and Diogo Maroco, Inventa was recognized with a special distinction in the category of Best IP Advisory in Portugal.

The presence of brands in the metaverse, depending on the adopted concept, is not a future fact. Brands are already in the metaverse. If the concept of metaverse is debatable, and so is its present existence, it is at least undeniable that approximate realities already exist. In digital spaces such as, among others, “Roblox”, “Fortnite”, “Second Life” and “Descentraland”, it is possible to sell goods and provide digital services.

Madrid hosted the Iberian Legal Summit & Awards on May 19, 2022. Organized by the Leaders League, the event brings together more than 200 professionals from Portugal and Spain in the legal sector, to debate the latest topics on the legal field.

Inventa joined the event being represented by Júlia Alves Coutinho, where she had the opportunity to attend the conferences and to connect with other professionals.

The African economy is losing billions of dollars for not protecting their intellectual property (IP), says Prof. Munashe Furusa, Vice-Chancellor of Africa University, in Zimbabwe. And young inventors are among the most concerned.

The number of inventors from all over the continent that struggle to develop, manufacture, protect and commercialize their inventions, is considerable. Inevitably, it results in an important loss of earnings to the inventors and to the economies.

The creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which includes the implementation of an IP protocol, is expected to solve most of the issues present in many African countries’ IP framework. 

In her new article, published in IP Stars, Vera Albino provides an overview on what the continent’s IP regime could look like, what AfCFTA's contribution to IP rights issues could be and what place could be reserved in the agreement for traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.