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Recognized as one of Nigeria’s leading intellectual property practitioners, Angela Adebayo Agbe-Davies, Managing Director at Inventa, has expanded access to IP education and services across West Africa. In this conversation, she reflects on her journey, the convictions that shaped her leadership, and the evolving role of women in the legal and corporate landscape.

The INTA Leadership Meeting once again brought together committee members from across the globe for its annual gathering, held this year from November 18 - 21 in Hollywood, Florida (USA). Over the course of the program, attendees immersed themselves in a range of skill-building experiences, from intensive bootcamps and hands-on workshops to dynamic “Leadership Lab” discussions focused on topics such as Artificial Intelligence within Intellectual Property (IP) industry, brand protection, and sustainability.

Organized by the Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group, the PTMG Autumn Conference took place in Budapest, Hungary, from October 8th to 10th. The event brought together IP and pharmaceutical professionals to explore a wide range of topics related to trademarks in the pharmaceutical industry and beyond.

From September 13th to 16th, the AIPPI World Congress was held in Yokohama, Japan.

During the four-days, the event featured panel discussions, keynote speakers and social events, covering a wide range of topics. These included IP’s role in artificial intelligence and Japan’s legal traditions, with sessions on AI & copyright, patent law, trademarks in fashion, pharma innovation, creative works in the digital world, non-traditional trademarks, the rise of “dupes” in luxury goods, and protection of designs and user-generated content.

The Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority (EGIPA) has recently enacted two significant legal instruments - Decree No. 26 of 2025 and Decision No. 34 of 2025 - which introduce substantial modifications to the country’s patent fee structure and procedural timelines.

Under Decree No. 26, published in Official Gazette No. 132 on 17 June 2025 and effective as of 18 June 2025, the official examination fee for patent applications has doubled, increasing from EGP 25,000 to EGP 50,000 (approximately USD 1,060).

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) is a global phenomenon that has taken over every aspect of life. AI is the possibility and capability of computer systems to perform human-designed tasks with little or no errors. Early innovators and researchers of AI believed that human intelligence and behaviour could be neatly copied and translated by intelligent machines that had been designed to do so. In Nigeria and globally, AI has been widely accepted and indoctrinated across various fields of life.

The intersection of intellectual property (IP) and genomics is reshaping the landscape of healthcare, biotechnology, and business in Nigeria. Genomics—the study of an organism’s entire genetic material—has profound implications for medical research, personalised medicine, agriculture, and pharmaceutical innovations. However, ensuring equitable benefits and commercial viability requires a robust IP framework.

From music and film to fashion and digital content, Nigeria’s creative sectors are thriving on a global scale. 

Olusola Tunmise-Ajani explores how strengthening legal frameworks and enhancing awareness of intellectual property rights can empower Nigerian creatives to protect, structure, and monetise their creative works.