Blame ought to be directed to African startups for patenting things that can easily be discovered by competitors and failing to keep them as trade secrets. – Cisco Senior Vice President, Howard Charney. Recently iHub Research released an insightful report titled “Intellectual Property in Technological Innovations: Perceptions from Tech Start-ups in Kenyan ICT Hubs”, which … Continue reading »
Category Archives: Patents
A Comparative Perspective: Why Business Method Patents Cannot Be Too Quickly Dismissed
IPKenya has received a commentary from Moses Njoroge Muchiri, Advocate and Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law in Munich, Germany. Muchiri (pictured left) drew my attention to his paper which is comprehensive review of the current legal developments in the protection of computer implemented Business Method Patents (BMPs) comparing … Continue reading »
The Ghost of M-Pesa: Faulu Kenya Cries Intellectual Property Theft over Safaricom’s M-Shwari
In a recent news article titled “Safaricom loses first round of M-Shwari row with Faulu”, it is reported that Mr Justice Jonathan Havelock, sitting in the High Court, made the following two determinations in respect to Faulu Kenya’s suit against Safaricom’s M-Shwari: 1. The court denied Faulu Kenya’s request that Safaricom be barred from any … Continue reading »
Copyright / Intellectual Property in Kenya / IP News / IP Policy / Kenya Copyright Board KeCoBo / Patents / Plant Breeders' Rights / Trade marks
IPKenya’s Weekly Round-up of Intellectual Property News from Africa
“…the vehicle (featured above) and systems are completely manufactured in South Africa and are 100% South African intellectual property” – Engineering News. (Read more about South Africa’s Husky 2G armoured route clearance vehicle here.) Today is 1st September 2012 and from Lagos to Gaberone, intellectual property is alive and well. Today marks “No Music Day” … Continue reading »
Software Patents, Business Method Patents: State of Play in Kenya
“anything under the sun that is made by man [is patentable]” – US Supreme Court in the case of Diamond v. Chakrabarty 447 US 303 (1980) “From where does a man derive his right to possess something, and to refuse the whole world his right of ownership? This right originates from only one factor; the … Continue reading »
Intellectual Property in Kenya / International Intellectual Property / IP News / IP Policy / Kenya Industrial Property Institute KIPI / Patents / World Intellectual Property Organisation WIPO
Upcoming Seminar at Strathmore Law School: Should Kenya Allow Computer Software Patents?
IPKenya is pleased to inform everyone that the newly-created Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) at Strathmore Law School is holding its inaugural event on 14-15 August, 2012 to discuss computer software patents and protecting IP in the ICT industry. CIPIT has managed to get representatives from the United States Patent and … Continue reading »
Copyright / Industrial Designs / Intellectual Property in Kenya / International Intellectual Property / IP Enforcement / IP Policy / IP Registration / Kenya Copyright Board KeCoBo / Kenya Industrial Property Institute KIPI / Patents / Trade marks / Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Traditional Cultural Expressions / Utility Models / World Intellectual Property Organisation WIPO
A Challenge for Law Schools in Kenya to Take IP Seriously
IPKenya would like to begin by echoing Article 40 (6) of the Constitution of Kenya which states: “The State shall support, promote and protect of the intellectual property rights of the people of Kenya” This post is a call for a different interpretation of this article that puts us, intellectual property scholars and students, at … Continue reading »
Collective Rights Management / Copyright / Industrial Designs / Intellectual Property in Kenya / IP Enforcement / IP News / Kenya Association of Music Producers KAMP / Kenya Copyright Board KeCoBo / Kenya Industrial Property Institute KIPI / Patents / Performers' Rights Society of Kenya PRISK / Reproduction Rights Society of Kenya Kopiken / Trade marks / Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Traditional Cultural Expressions / Utility Models
The Creativez Meetup This Sunday – Let’s Talk Intellectual Property
IPKenya would highly recommend that all attend an important event dubbed “The Creativez Meet-up – Intellectual Property” taking place this Sunday 3rd June from 14h00 to 17h00. Here are just a few reasons why: 1. The calibre of speakers: Almost all the presenters are LL.M holders in Intellectual Property and have extensive experience in their … Continue reading »
Copyright / Intellectual Property in Kenya / IP News / Kenya Copyright Board KeCoBo / Kenya Industrial Property Institute KIPI / Patents / Trade marks
Safaricom and Intellectual Property Theft: Some Thoughts
The Business Daily reveals that there are currently two accusations of intellectual property theft levelled against Safaricom, Kenya’s leading mobile telephone company: a. “Maliza Storo”: a service that enables pre-pay subscribers to access airtime on credit for a fee of 10 per cent for each request. b. “M-Kesho”: a mobile-based platform allows customers to perform … Continue reading »
South African Firm Accused by Kenya of Patent Rights Breach
The Daily Nation reports that a South African company has been blamed for selling semen from the Boran bull, a Kenyan cattle breed by purporting it is a patented product of that country. When questioned by the Nation, the Livestock Minister Dr. Mohamed Kuti said that the move was in violation of the country’s patent … Continue reading »
