Dear Valued Client Please be advised that pursuant to the Companies and Other Business Entities Act [Chapter 24:31], the company re-registration exercise has commenced. This is a significant initiative aimed at updating the company register from a manual paper-based system to an electronic filing system and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Failure to re-register electronically [...]
On 1 January 2024, the Finance Act, 2023 (No.13 of 2023) (the “Finance Act”) came into operation implementing various measures including the introduction of a special capital gains tax (“special CGT”). The Finance Act amended the Capital Gains Tax Act [Chapter 23:01] (the “CGT Act”) and introduced section 30B (3) of the CGT Act reads [...]
What is a National Employment Council (NEC) A National Employment Council is a bipartite labour relations body with a specific mandate to deal with labour issues in a particular industry or sector comprising an employers’ association on one hand and employee representative (Trade Unions) on the other. NECs are created in terms of Sections 56 [...]
The Arusha Protocol on Plant Varieties “the Protocol” was adopted by a Diplomatic Conference of ARIPO at Arusha, Tanzania on 6 July 2015. Its Implementing Regulations were adopted by the ARIPO Administrative Council at Lilongwe Malawi on 22 November 2017. The purpose of the Protocol is to grant and protect plant breeders’ rights regionally. Plant [...]
World IP Day is commemorated on 26 April each year. It was established in 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in order to highlight the role that intellectual property plays in fostering creativity and innovation. The theme this year is IP and Youth: Innovating For a Better Future. The object of the theme [...]
“With effect from 1 January 2022, amendments to the ARIPO Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs came into force as highlighted in our article here. It has become apparent however, that the amendments under Rule 23(2)(d) are in conflict with Section 3(3) of the Harare Protocol as read with amended Rule 18(1)(a). The ARIPO Office [...]
KEY HIGHLIGHTS Seychelles is a new Contracting Party to the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs and may be designated in ARIPO applications with effect from 1 January 2022. The applicant in a patent application may, in response to an objection by a designated state, amend the application and/or submit written argument in a [...]
On 3 May 2021, the Government of the Republic of The Gambia deposited its instrument of accession to the Banjul Protocol on Marks (hereinafter “the Protocol”) with the Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO). Parties to the Protocol are Botswana, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, Uganda, [...]
Lorraine Takaendesa (a partner in the Intellectual Property Department) and Gloria Nyamayi (a partner in the Litigation Department) recently advised award winning artist, Hilzy, and producer, Dakarai Gwitira (DG), on a recording contract which was recently entered into between Hilzy and Cider Sounds, LLC. Lorraine Takaendesa, Gloria Nyamayi, Hilzy and Dakarai Gwitira
On 15 May 2020, the Government of Mozambique acceded to the Banjul Protocol on Marks. The Protocol was adopted by the ARIPO Administrative Council at Banjul, The Gambia on 19 November 1993 and came into effect on 6 March 1997. The Protocol was established in accordance with the objectives of ARIPO, which amongst other things, [...]
