The legal pitfalls of offensive branding
Over the past year or so, a surprising number of international brand owners have come under fire for offensive marketing campaigns, products, and brand names.
Many...
Tag: Branding
So you think you can move? – Trade marks in motion
In the not too distant future, brands will come to life in that the golden arches of McDonalds will probably be in hologram format or will have some flickering or other motion effect. The well-known Facebook logo will incorporate a futuristic motion together with …
Provided By KISCH IP
Considering a rebrand? The copyright conundrum
Have you enlisted the assistance of a third-party graphic designer to create a new logo or corporate identity for your rebrand?
Often corporates and start-ups are so excited by the prospect of bringing their corporate identity or rebrand to life, that they forget…
Provided By KISCH IP
A simple understanding of counterfeit law in South Africa
Eradicating counterfeit goods in the South African market is essential to its economy. The practical consequence of not taking action against the sale of counterfeit...
Parody and abuse with regards to trade marks
A long-running legal dispute in the USA involving the brand Louis Vuitton is interesting. Not only does it deal with parody as a defence to...
How small businesses can protect themselves against retail giants
“New year, new me” …well, the second month of 2019 is here which means that our New year’s resolutions are next year’s problem and we...
Burnberry – Product destruction as IP strategy
Luxury British clothing brand Burberry recently ‘came under fire‘ for destroying clothing items worth more than £28 million (almost R500 million).
It is no secret that...
There may be no ‘I’ in team…but there’s an ‘I’ in sponsorship
This article explores how tensions arise when in the exploitation of intellectual property rights between the promotion of personal brand and the exploitation of individual...
When is a descriptive mark not a descriptive mark?
This was the issue before the Supreme Court of Appeal in the matter between Dinnermates (Tvl) CC and Piquante Brands International & another 401/17) [2018] ZASCA 43...
When ‘your’ website isn’t ‘yours’ – IP issues
If you run a business, you need a website, regardless of your niche, sector or industry. That’s just the way it is, especially in the...
Protecting your App – Important intellectual property considerations
The Apple Store launched in July 2008 and made available to iOS users some 800 applications (“Apps”) to download. As of March 2017, this number...
Social media influencer relationships come under further scrutiny
In April this year, we wrote about the phenomenon of the social media influencer – usually a celebrity or person with a large social media...
Brands & social media influencers – Are you at risk?
Although Andy Warhol proclaimed in 1968 that, in the future, everyone would be world-famous for fifteen minutes, it is unlikely that he could possibly have...
‘Tis the season of counterfeiting – Brand holder remedies
Dealing in counterfeit goods is unlawful as set out in the Counterfeit Goods Act no. 37 of 1997.
Brandholders who wish to protect their brands against...
Addled by the interwebs
Can you use a competitor’s brand name as your Google Adword? There is an answer to this oft-asked question and, as one would expect from...
Chinese courts send 3N packing – Trade mark infringement
A Chinese court recently ordered a Chinese company that had blatantly infringed one of the world’s better known trade marks to pay significant damages to...
ASA Roarrrss in favour of trade marks
Trade mark owners continue to successfully use the Advertising Standards Authority (“ASA”) as a forum for resolving what are essentially trade mark disputes.
The latest case,...
Adams & Adams Is The Africa IP Law Firm Of The Year For Second Year Running
Adams & Adams Management Committee with MIP Firm of the Year, Africa, 2015 & 2016 Awards (From Left to Right: Grégor Wolter, Simon B. Brown,...
The fashion IP debate – Protecting your clothing designs
The fashion industry is booming and highly profitable worldwide. How can fashion designers protect their trends from being replicated while reaping the benefits of their...
CDH expands in key sectors
Johannesburg – 29 January 2016 – Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) has hired three new directors to join its corporate and commercial practice following eight partner...
