South Africa: Licensing & Syndication

FIFA's commercial framework requires host venues to conceal non-sponsor branding during the World Cup, leading Levi's Stadium to be temporarily rebranded. When Levi's iconic batwing logo was covered with a white sheet, the company transformed this restriction into a powerful marketing moment that demonstrated the true strength of brand recognition and the difference between a trademark and a brand.

A South African High Court ruling has revoked 16 registered designs for arched deck boards, finding that pre-registration commercial disclosures destroyed their novelty.

With just weeks to the beginning of the World Cup, that will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the world will be focusing on the pitch. However, almost everything that makes this multibillion-dollar business remains invisible to people.

On 1 November 2019, ICASA published the much anticipated Information Memorandum for the high-demand spectrum licensing process for comment

The value of intellectual property assets in companies is often overlooked or underestimated when it comes to licensing, mergers and acquisitions.

Does South African law recognise the validity of ‘perpetual' software licences?

All jurisdictions in Africa permit the licensing of trade marks and make provision for the recordal of licensees.

The thought of Africa may conjure up images of disease, poverty, wars, famine and downwardly progressing economies.