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How Free is Mickey Mouse? Disney Draws the Line on Mickey Jewellery
12 月 9, 2025

How Free is Mickey Mouse? Disney Draws the Line on Mickey Jewellery

Mickey Mouse is making headlines, and this time, it’s not for his on-screen antics. Instead, the iconic mouse has stepped off the screen and into the courtroom. In July 2025, The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles federal court against Red Earth Group t/a Satéur (“Sat...
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The ABC’s: Access, Book Famine and Copyright for Visually Impaired People
12 月 3, 2025

The ABC’s: Access, Book Famine and Copyright for Visually Impaired People

People with disabilities often face significant educational disadvantages due to the inaccessibility of learning materials. According to the World Blind Union, more than 90% of published...
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Have Copycat Video Games Reached their Peak?
11 月 26, 2025

Have Copycat Video Games Reached their Peak?

Video game copyright infringement is becoming increasingly complex as digital platforms make it easier than ever for copycat titles to appear overnight. The recent clash between indie hit PEAK and its near-identical Roblox counterpart, CLIFF, highlights both the evolving nature of piracy and the ...
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How “Nero Champagne” went flat in Court
11 月 14, 2025

How “Nero Champagne” went flat in Court

On 19 February 2019, Italian company Nero Lifestyle Srl (“Nero”) filed a trade mark application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (“EUIPO”). The application sought protection for the word mark NERO CHAMPAGNE, to be registered across the EU, in respect of various goods and servi...
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Satire or Standard: The 'Moron in a Hurry' Paradigm in Trade Mark Disputes
11 月 7, 2025

Satire or Standard: The 'Moron in a Hurry' Paradigm in Trade Mark Disputes

The use of hypothetical persons as a measure of standard in law dates all the way back to Roman law and the bonus pater familias or “good family father". The standard serves as a measure of whether a person has acted with the requisite care reasonably expected of someone in their role / ...
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Tariffs Backfire: Fuelling the Fake Goods Trade
11 月 2, 2025

Tariffs Backfire: Fuelling the Fake Goods Trade

In recent years, the world has seen the global supply chain impacted by the implementation of tariffs by various countries. While the intention when imposing tariffs for imported goods may be to foster economic growth by protecting local industries, balancing trade deficits and defending against ...
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The Name of a Showgirl: Taylor Kelce or Mr. Swift?
10 月 22, 2025

The Name of a Showgirl: Taylor Kelce or Mr. Swift?

When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement, it didn’t just make headlines – it scored a pop-culture touchdown. A pop icon meets the NFL’s charismatic star player – a pairing that set the internet ablaze. With two global superstars joining forces, the commercial possibilities...
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Inventorship: Are you sure you invented that?
10 月 14, 2025

Inventorship: Are you sure you invented that?

In most jurisdictions (including South Africa), the right to apply for a patent initially vests in the inventor(s). Incorrectly identifying the inventors can cast doubt on who legally owns the invention, and on who is entitled to apply for patent protection for that invention. There are common mi...
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What Brand Owners should know about Trade Marking Taglines
10 月 6, 2025

What Brand Owners should know about Trade Marking Taglines

For influencers and brand-owners alike, a few clever words can go a long way and even lead to serious earnings. Slogans, taglines, and catchphrases, once seen as corporate marketing fluff, have become valuable trade marks. Nowadays, where attention is currency, owning a unique and impactful ph...
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Lady Gaga's Mayhem Trade Mark Dispute
9 月 30, 2025

Lady Gaga's Mayhem Trade Mark Dispute

Trade mark owners across the globe often wonder why they need to register their trade name or logo, especially when they are unclear about its worth. This is the $100 million question that pop icon Lady Gaga and surf brand LOST have to face in 2025. In March, the global superstar and regular f...
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