2016 has been a busy year for IP on the African continent, with
developments in Liberia, the Cayman Islands, South Africa, Zambia
and Namibia, among others.
Liberia: Intellectual Property Act and Swakopmund Protocol
membership
Liberia's House of Representatives has approved and
published the Intellectual Property Act, 2014 (the
"new Act"), which repeals the Industrial
Property Act of 2003. The regulations are currently being
drafted.
The new Act has cleared up the uncertainty regarding the
applicability of certain international treaties, including the
Paris Convention, the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International
Registration of Marks and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid
Agreement. There is, however, still some uncertainty as to the
applicability of the Banjul Protocol on Marks. The new Act further
provides requirements for the filing of applications for the
registration of Geographical Indications
("GIs"), as well as for the filing of
patents, utility
