The infringement of intellectual property rights and counterfeiting are significant challenges within African countries. Registering and protecting its IP in each and every relevant country on the continent is key for every business, and requires specialist advice and knowledge.

ALN understands the complexities of creating, exploiting and enforcing intellectual property rights in Africa’s rapidly growing domestic and regional markets. We provide support to our Corporate M&A colleagues in connection with providing appropriate due diligence services and advice on key IP issues on any M&A transaction in any market.

Our lawyers work hard to protect and promote clients’ ideas, inventions and trademarks, including anti-counterfeit measures and brand protection, because we understand that intellectual property is an invaluable company asset.

Principal Areas of Practice:

  • Anti-counterfeit procedures
  • Copyright
  • Disputes
  • Distribution agreements
  • Franchising deals
  • Industrial designs and utility models
  • Patents
  • Plant breeders’ rights
  • Sponsorship agreements
  • Trademark licensing

 

Our lawyers work hard to protect and promote clients’ ideas, inventions and trademarks as intellectual property continues its rise as an invaluable company asset. Representative transactions include advising:

  1. Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank

    in connection with the filing and prosecution of trademark registration applications in respect of its new trademarks (adopted following its rebranding in late 2016), including making direct national filings in 10 African countries.

  2. Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (formerly PTA Bank)

    In connection with the filing and prosecution of trademark registration applications in respect of its new trademarks (adopted following its rebranding in late 2016), including making direct national filings in 10 African countries.

  3. Nokia Corporation

    In connection with their entry into national phase and prosecution of sixteen PCT patent.

  1. Microsoft

    In connection with the regulatory compliance of their Windows software.

  2. Colgate Palmolive

    In connection with trademark infringement and passing off of goods resulting in a permanent injunction.

  3. Flamingo Horticulture

    In connection with the legal position on the alleged infringement of a third party’s European patent on account of Flamingo Horticulture’s exportation of allegedly offending products to France.

Expertise

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Consumer Products
Our legal experts assist clients in navigating the intricate and complex consumer protection environment in Africa.
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Aviation
Our aviation law practice is well developed to cover commercial, financial and regulatory matters for airlines, aircraft manufacturers, airports, airline service providers, financial institutions and regulators.
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Food and Agriculture
ALN firms believe that the growth in the agriculture sector has a direct bearing on economic development. Agriculture is key to many economies in Africa, and an essential for domestic food sustainability.
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Financial Institutions
We provide a variety of legal services to financial institutions and investors, including banks, insurance companies, microfinance enterprises, development funds, government entities and financial regulators.
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Energy
Access to affordable energy for industry as well as consumers is one of the key rivers of economic and social development in Africa. While historically many countries have relied on fossil fuels as the primary source of energy, increased concerns around climate change and sustainability...
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Government and Public Sector
Our familiarity with government processes and procedures in Africa is unparalleled. It is for this reason that we are often consulted by both governments and private institutions to lead negotiations.
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