It has been announced by the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) that large corporate entitles will pay increased official fees for patent and design services, with effect from July 2019.  Also from that date, the South African Patent Office will distinguish between large corporate entitles and small, medium and micro entities (SMME) with regards to the official fees payable.     As a result, the official fees for large corporate entities...

Today (29 March 2019) was supposed to be the day on which the United Kingdom was due to leave the European Union, following the result of the 2016 referendum, and the triggering of Article 50 on 29 March 2017.   We are regularly asked what effect Brexit will have on trade marks in the Channel Islands. The answer, at least in the foreseeable future, is none. Jersey will continue to operate a system of re-registration of granted national UK trade marks, and whilst EU trade marks, as well as...

A new Design Rights Bill 2019 was published in the Cayman Islands on 19th February 2019, which will replace the current Design Rights Registration Law 2016 once it comes into force. It is not yet known when this will occur.   The existing legislation gives owners of original UK registered designs and registered European designs the opportunity to extend their rights to the Cayman Islands. On the other hand, the new Bill will allow for the registration of design rights in the Cayman...