On 24 November 2024 the Arusha Protocol finally came into force, almost 10 years after it was first adopted in Arusha, Tanzania on 6 July 2015.

A contingent value right (CVR) is a type of instrument or arrangement that creates an obligation on a purchaser to pay a seller additional consideration on the occurrence of a pre-agreed future event – the instrument can be structured as tradeable or non-tradeable.

The topic of advertising of unhealthy foodstuffs to children, and its contribution to obesity and disease amongst the target audience, has been an ongoing debate for years.

An adult may possess and use cannabis in private for personal consumption in South Africa. This is according to the South African Constitutional Court ruling in September 2018

For the first quarter of 2020, COVID19 (aka Coronavirus) has been a substantial part of the news and has all but consumed our lives, suffice to say at this point the only thing everyone wants is a cure for this pandemic.

We previously reported (here) on the initial decision by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to uphold legislation in Australia which implemented mandatory plain packaging in relation to...

Here we offer insight into the above "contrary to law" provision, particularly insofar as it relates to the controversial discussion regarding the partial legalization of cannabis in South Africa, and its effects on trade mark law in South Africa

National Treasury has issued a discussion paper on the "Taxation of Electronic Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems".

This edition of Africa Insights goes back to basics – food.

Food labelling in SA was given a much needed overhaul in 2011 with the introduction of new regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs.

In June 2017 we commented here, in respect of the WTO's decision to uphold legislation in Australia which severely restricted the advertisement of tobacco products on the ground that the legislation qualified as a legitimate public health measure.

Novartis recently secured a crucial win in its patent battle over the heart failure drug Entresto, temporarily blocking generic competition from MSN Pharmaceuticals. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit...

As you may have heard in the news, five children were recently reported to have tragically died in Soweto, after allegedly eating poisoned snacks, purchased at a spaza shop.

Patent protection of living organisms, or substances derived from them, has long been a locus of confusion and controversy in law. Recently, however,

On 15 August 2012 the Australian High Court ruled that the much-discussed legislation that requires tobacco companies to sell their products in unbranded packages.

On 15 August 2012 the Australian High Court ruled that the much-discussed legislation that requires tobacco companies to sell their products in unbranded packages, the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011, is constitutional.

The Draft Western Cape Liquor Amendment Bill was recently published for public comment.

South Africa has officially adopted the 13th Edition of the Nice Classification (NCL 13-26) with effect from 1 January 2026, following its implementation by the World Intellectual Property Office on the same date.

The South African government is determined to ensure that in the country, as in a number of other countries, tobacco products are sold with little or no branding.

In the ever-competitive world of fast food, brand identity and creative marketing are vital. In a recent dispute, Chicken Licken took legal action against KFC, claiming the fast-food giant's "All Star Box" advertisement copied two...