IPvocate Africa

Thrilled to share that our book 'Protecting Geographical Indications in Africa' has been shortlisted for the 30th Gourmand Awards in the newly added category ‘Geographical Indications Book’ 🌟   I am grateful for this honour and hope this will bring even more attention to the important topic of geographical indications in Africa.   Stay tuned for more updates, and fingers crossed for the next step!

IPvocate Africa recently obtained a favourable decision in a claim action in the OAPI.🏆   A claim action is a mechanism that allows the former user of a trade mark to oppose the registration of a mark filed by a person who knew or should have known of the prior use.   In this case, our client challenged an application for a mark that was simply a translation of the mark it had registered and used for several years. We were successful in defending our client's interests, leading to the transfer of the mark to our client.   This decision strengthens trade mark rights within the #OAPI jurisdiction.   📩Should you require more information on the claim action or need assistance with your trade mark strategy, please message us! #IPR #iprights #africa  

To mark the Day of the German Reunification we had a traditional German Currywurst Lunch 🇩🇪🥨🍻 with the IPvocate Africa Team in the only Currywurst Imbiss on the Island 🏝️🇲🇺! Happy German Day to all !

🌍 Are you selling goods in the OAPI region and struggling with counterfeits? Join Marius Schneider and Nora Ho Tu Nam for a free webinar hosted by the International Trademark Association (INTA) on enforcing trade mark rights in the OAPI. Gain valuable insights and strategies to protect your brand with Max-Lambert Ndema, Cyrille Tchemegne and Ifeoma Utah. You may register here: https://lnkd.in/epdqhtiV #oapi #inta #counterfeit #ipinafrica

The new Rwandese intellectual property law will be of great interest to groupings tasked with protecting geographical indications. Any interested person may now oppose the registration of a mark containing a misleading #GI on the ground that the applied mark is likely confusing. For more details or assistance on geographical indications in #Rwanda, feel free to reach out! You can always book a virtual coffee with our lawyers here https://lnkd.in/eruTJyZe #iplaw #africa #ipinafrica

En route for the first Mauritian geographical indication! Our two partners, Marius Schneider and Nora Ho Tu Nam, both spoke at the Workshop on the Registration of Geographical Indications in Mauritius organised by #AfrIPI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The workshop is an essential step in registering the first Mauritian #GI: unrefined sugar. Marius Schneider spoke of the protective mechanisms available to GIs in Europe, an important market for Mauritian unrefined sugar. Nora Ho Tu Nam shared some practical tips for protecting the GI once registered. RANJIVE BEERGAUNOT Intellectual Property in Africa Monique BAGAL Mauritius Sugar Syndicate

🚨 New Intellectual Property Law in Rwanda 🚨 A new IP law is in force in Rwanda since 31 July 2024, enhancing the protection of trade mark owners. It is now possible to oppose a trade mark application if it is imitative, applied for in bad faith, or aims to create unfair competition. An imitative mark refers to those that are: o  identical or confusingly similar to a well-known mark or trade name in Rwanda for the same or related goods/services, or o  if unrelated, the application can cause a connection or potential harm to the owner of the well-known mark. Beyond the obvious meaning of bad faith, a bad faith application also encompasses an application likely to lessen competition, restrain trade, or abuse a position of market power or dominance. This new legislation will improve the protection of trade mark owners and ensure fair competition in Rwanda. For more details or assistance with navigating these changes, feel free to reach out! You can always book a virtual coffee with our lawyers here https://lnkd.in/eruTJyZe

Congratulations Marius Schneider!

🌟 Celebrating six incredible years! 🌟 Congratulations, Nawsheen Buckrally, on your six-year anniversary with IPvocate Africa. Nawsheen is an indispensable member of our accountancy team. We are incredibly grateful for her hard work and commitment. Here's to many more years together!

Did you know the ancient Egyptians are believed to be the inventors of wine labels? 🍇 To distinguish between wines in standardized containers, the ancient Egyptians adopted a labeling system that indicated the place of production, the vintage, the producer’s name, and the style of the wine. Discover more about the fascinating origin of linking products, craftsmanship, and a place of provenance in the book 'Protecting Geographical Indications in Africa' written by Marius Schneider and Nora Ho Tu Nam. https://lnkd.in/eJG-mDNp #geographicalindication #GI #africa