Johannesburg – Dec 11, 2023 – Qualcomm Incorporated announced today, the launch of L2Pro Africa IP e-learning Platform, a free online training program designed to empower startups, SMEs, and researchers in Africa to protect, secure, and maximize their innovations. This program has been created in collaboration with Adams and Adams, Africa’s leading intellectual property (IP) […]

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” William Shakespeare used this line in his play Romeo and Juliet to convey that the naming of things is irrelevant; however, in our modern fast paced society, driven by brands that are worth hundreds of millions […]

 Adams Adams Africa · Spinning Plates: Navigating new food label requirements in South Africa

The High Court of South Africa Kwa-Zulu Natal Local Division, Durban delivered a judgment in a passing off case between Fuel Trailers (Pty) Limited t/a Trailers & Tankers (“Trailers & Tankers”) and St Logistics (Pty) Limited t/a Jikelele Tankers & Trailers (“Jikelele”). The Court found that Jikelele’s use of the ORANGE TRAILER logo was already […]

 Adams Adams Africa · MIP podcast – The Trade Dress Code: Protection and Stopping Imitation

The much-anticipated 2023 Netball World Cup is headed to Cape Town, South Africa from 28 July to 6 August 2023 and will be the first Netball World Cup to take place on the African continent. Hitting the headlines this week was the news that Discovery has withdrawn Vitality as the title sponsor of the event, […]

Round 3 was decided with Clover winning the war (despite losing a battle along the way) after a favourable decision was recently churned out by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).  Readers may remember that the writer first reported in June 2021 that Clover’s urgent application to interdict the use of STORK BUTTER SPREAD by […]

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) of South Africa recently delivered a judgment in a trade mark infringement case between iCollege (Pty) Ltd (“iCollege”) and Xpertease Skills Development and Mentoring CC (“Xpertease”). The Court found that Xpertease’s use of a mark that closely resembled iCollege’s registered trade mark resulted in a likelihood of deception or […]

Ed Sheeran’s victories continue to multiply, after a New York jury recently ruled that his song, Thinking Out Loud, does not infringe the copyright of well-known American song, Let’s Get It On, written by Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend. This 100-million-dollar claim was first brought by Townsend’s heirs in 2017 against Sheeran, his records label, […]

Africa is a vast continent and is often underestimated, both from a business but also from a brand protection perspective. Africa’s land mass exceeds that of India, China, the United States and Europe combined. It is also the second most populous continent, with over 1.3 billion people – or about 16.5% of the world’s population. […]