Enforcement

Marques Annual Conference took place in September and Inventa International couldn’t miss this event, that gathers experts to debate the latest issues concerning Intellectual Property.

This year the event was held in Paris, which provided the perfect scenario to address a wide range of branding related topics such as branding, design and luxury goods.

EU Copyright Reform, Trade Secrets Directive, UDRP Reform and Brexit were also on the agenda. 

After 61 years of no substantial revisions to Malawi’s trademark legal framework, 2016 was the year when a new and fresh trademark Bill has been finally drafted and formally published in the country’s Government Gazette in order to notify the public that the matters subjected in the diploma would be up for debate in Malawi’s Parliament.

The Portuguese State was acquitted by the Intellectual Property Court regarding the court case where the inventor Manuel Londreira claimmed plagiarism of the Fiscal Equity program with the creation of the “e-fatura” system.

In 2011, Manuel Londreira presented the Fiscal Equity program to the then prime minister, José Sócrates. In 2015, he formally accused the State of plagiarism of his program by creating the “e-fatura” system.

John Steinbeck, in one of his works, questioned "Without our past, how will we know it´s us?"  João de Barros also said "the man without memory has the understanding of little boy".

The preservation of our past, made of narrations and expositions of facts and memorable events, is a common concern for as long as memory exists. Characterized by historical feats, it is also externalized by artistic forms, namely traditional cultural expressions.

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.

Contrary to the real estate business, where the system favors the concentration of wealth in only by just a few economic agents, intellectual property has the virtue of being more democratic. With an insatiable, curious, irreverent and inspired intelligence, anyone may can create wealth. The power of the mind is huge enormous.

The Ministry of Trade of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced an increase of about 15% on the country’s official fees regarding intelectual property, that covers trademark, patent and design registrations.

If you wish to know more about this matter, please contact us at africa@inventa.com .

Ferrari with its well known trademark “Testarossa” at risk in Germany.

Following the dispute between the famous car manufacturer Ferrari and the Autec AG, holded by the Kurt Hesse with respect to trademark “Testarossa” in Germany, arised the well known trademarks genuine use issue.

The translation of foreign words in determining whether they are registrable as trademarks, or confusingly similar with existing marks is, certainly, a relevant matter in the Trademarks’ Right. In this brief overview, we comment on its importance, giving special attention to the USPTO’s doctrine of the foreign equivalents.

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), formerly known as English Speaking African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ESARIPO), was created with the Lusaka Agreement (1976) and currently boosts 19 member-states, which are mostly English speaking countries. ARIPO intends to promote the cooperation between members regarding the protection of intellectual property rights and with time it developed to a regional system that allows the registration of patents, trademarks and plant varieties.