Latest News and Insights
May 11, 2026
The 13th Edition of the Nice Classification: What South African Brand Owners Should Know
The Nice Classification of Goods and Services (the “Nice Classification”) is an international system used to organise goods and services for trade mark registration. It is used across the world, including in South Africa, and affects how trade marks are filed, examined and protected.
The 13
May 4, 2026
Functional Foods: Is It Medicine or Food?
As consumer demand shifts towards healthier lifestyles, the food industry is rapidly evolving beyond traditional nutrition. Diet trends such as keto, vegan and other wellness-focused regimes are driving investment into products that promise more than basic sustenance. From functional beverages an...
April 27, 2026
Fragrance Duplicates: Wake Up and Smell the Dupe
The fragrance industry is experiencing a marked rise in the popularity of fragrance duplicates (dupes), driven largely by consumer affordability, high inflation and greater access to alternatives. This trend is further accelerated by social media marketing and e-commerce, alongside a noticeable s...
April 20, 2026
Athlete Image Rights: Your Image May Be Worth More Than Your Playing Contract
For professional athletes starting out, contract negotiations almost always begin and end with salary. This is totally understandable, as salaries pay bills and provide security for the length of the contract. However, few young athletes understand that their most valuable asset is their ...
April 9, 2026
AI Clones and Digital Identity: A New IP Risk for Influencers and Brands
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the influencer economy and not always in predictable ways.
AI tools can now replicate a person’s face, voice, and manner of speaking with remarkable accuracy. With only seconds of source material, software can generate content that appears to show a re...
April 7, 2026
TABASCO® Meets Vodka: A Spicy Trade Dress Dispute
What do vodka and pepper sauce have in common? Surprisingly, their packaging.
In January 2026, the McIlhenny Company, a Louisiana-based family business behind the world-famous TABASCO® pepper sauce, filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court against spirit producer Stoli Group (USA) LLC, allegin...
March 27, 2026
Feeling the Music: The case that put AI music recommendations to the patent test
In February 2026, the United Kingdom Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Emotional Perception AI Ltd v Comptroller General. The case put AI music recommendations to the patent test, after the UK Patent Office initially rejected the patent on the basis that it was “just a com...
March 24, 2026
Gene Therapy: Lessons from REGENXBIO v Sarepta for South Africa
As gene therapy technologies continue to reshape modern medicine, patent law increasingly faces the challenge of distinguishing products of nature from genuine biological engineering. Courts are frequently required to determine whether inventions involving genetic material represent technological...
March 19, 2026
The Hidden Dangers of Counterfeit Calculators
With the new academic year underway and the annual “back‑to‑school” readiness in full swing, parents and students are prioritising essential learning tools. A recent 1Life Insurance Back to School survey highlights just how strained households are during this period: 95% of parents reported feeli...
March 9, 2026
Patriotic Marketing: From Cheers to (Legal) Tears
Excitement will abound on 11 June 2026, when South Africa takes on Mexico in the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup opener in Mexico City! This will serve as a re-match of the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as South Africa’s return to the World Cup stage after failing to qua...
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