CIPIT Blog

Insights, analysis, and commentary on intellectual property, information technology law, and digital policy in Africa

Kenya's Patent Wars: Sanitam Services vs Everyone

“The [matter] before us focuses on a branch of law which has scanty litigation and therefore minimal jurisprudential corpus in this country, but which has...

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Content Licensing Requires Salesmanship: Lessons from the Banned "Wolf of Wall Street"

One of the most talked about stories in the month of January was the decision by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) to ban the...

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#PharmaGate: South Africa’s Push for Patent Law Reforms Exposes Both Government and Drug Companies

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciedlxUDjS4] The Mail and Guardian (M&G) newspaper in South Africa published a story titled: “Motsoaledi: Big pharma’s ‘satanic’ plot is genocide” where it is reported...

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Victory for Synchronisation Rights in Kenya: John Katana v. Royal Media Services

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7EQKJ_2L-4] IP Kenya has learned that John Katana, renowned musician and founder member of the legendary Kenyan band, “Them Mushrooms”, has obtained judgment in the...

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Digital Migration and Intellectual Property Rights in Kenya

“The allegations made against the respondents betray a misunderstanding by the petitioners of the process of digital broadcasting transmission. The petitioners, who are content providers,...

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Registrability of Sound Trade Marks in Kenya: A Lost Opportunity

Having recently taken some interest in the world of motorcycles with close family members being proud owners, this blogger came across the case by Harley...

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Public Interest Principles For International IP Negotiations

For some weeks, this blogger has been following with interest various opinions on the wiki-leaked Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) document. The blogger whose interest largely...

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Domesticating the Marrakesh Treaty on Visually Impaired and Print Disabled Persons

On the June 28, 2013, Kenya was among the WIPO member states who signed Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who...

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Ethiopia’s Draft National Policy on Intellectual Property

Recently Kenya’s Northern neighbour, the Federal Republic of Ethiopia has developed a draft Intellectual Property (IP) Policy. Unlike the South African IP draft policy (discussed...

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