May 26, 2023
Back to the Blog: While I Was Away…
All smiles with the Hon. Chief Justice Martha Koome....
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Blog
January 12, 2022
BAF and The Fashion Law Africa Summit announce plans to make legal advisory more accessible for those in Africa’s fashion sector.
Bias In African Fashion in conjunction with The Fashion Law Africa Summit is seeking to create a platform to provide regular access to low cost and affordable legal consultation services for the fashion sector in Africa. The organizations’ aim is to roll out this pro-bono legal...
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December 22, 2021
Creative Africa Nexus and Portugal’s National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE) Call for Applications for Second Edition of CANEX PRESENTS AFRICA @ PORTUGAL FASHION
PRESS RELEASE CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Cairo/Porto, 17 December 2021 African Export-Import Bank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) and Portugal’s National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE) are putting out a call for applications from Fashion Designers from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Diaspora to participate in the 2022 editions of...
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December 17, 2021
WHY ARE IP-RELATED AMENDMENTS SO HAPHAZARDLY EXECUTED IN KENYA? LET’S QUASH THE WANGA BILL!
On November 15th, 2021, the National Assembly received a Copyright Amendment Bill 2021, from Hon. Gladys Wanga, Women Rep Homa Bay. This Bill should annoy any creative entrepreneur especially rights holders in the music and entertainment industry. These include musicians, songwriters, music producers, film producers,...
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December 3, 2021
Durban Escapades: IP Musings on the inaugural CANEX Summit 2021
In 2008, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reported a 13.9% growth rate of the cultural industries in Africa. Around this time, the digital space was still not as vibrant and as exploited as it is now. I was recently honoured to...
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October 15, 2021
“ALAAAA!” YOU DON’T KNOW WHY TRADEMARKS EXIST?
Recently there has been an interesting Trademark registration by the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli. He is known for using the phrase “Alaaa” whenever he reacts or makes remarks in public or media speaking engagements. It’s a phrase popularly used...
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August 20, 2021
COMPETITIONS, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS, AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY; OPEN YOUR EYES!
Photo by Kelli Tungay on Unsplash If you have ever attended one of my IP law trainings, I am sure you have heard me talk about sponsored competition by corporates and other commercial entities. One of the easiest ways to be duped into creating work for free is through...
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April 15, 2021
Tokyo Olympics 2020 and Olympics Kenya: Maximizing Marketing Opportunities at a Local Level.
National Olympics Committee - Kenya are the legal representatives of the International Olympic Committee. They are the assignees of all Olympic Games properties which must be licensed from them for any use by corporates or business entities....
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July 2, 2020
Influencers and online liability
Every action has a reaction and a repercussion. Online content creators as well as influencers need to exercise major caution with every click of a camera, video and the social media upload or enter button. Why? There are third party rights that are involved whenever...
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April 24, 2020
The Fashion Ecosystem in times of COVID-19: Global Thoughts & Experiences
In my view, this COVID-19 pandemic has changed and will change what has been perceived to be the norm in most things; especially business. When this disease was declared a pandemic, the first thing I thought to myself was; how will my shopping experience change?...
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February 7, 2019
Two Horses, One Rider. The Kenyan National Anthem Woes.
In the past two days the internet has been buzzing over this video on the Kenyan vlogger's use of the Kenyan Anthem. The video was discussing their views on some of the greatest national anthems while sampling them for their audience. To their surprise their video...
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November 26, 2018
‘Hakuna Matata’ Trademark. Stop Overreacting!
It has been a while since I blogged. Perhaps it is because I have been under the impression that Kenyans understand Intellectual Property Law and the rights system that surrounds it. I have been approached with interesting remarks about how IP rights are so obvious...
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May 5, 2017
STATE OF EDUCATION 2017: THE QUEST TO INNOVATE AROUND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
“Africa is the youngest content in terms of the age population and has some challenges to meet the needs of this population.” - Kofi Appenteng, President, Africa-America Institute. Let's first contextualize key statistics on Education: 1.By 2040, Africa is expected to have the world's largest labor force,...
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March 30, 2017
UPHOLDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. DOES DESTRUCTION OF THE PIRATED BOOKS SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
Books seized by KECOBO on the 22nd of March 2017. It is no secret that the book publishing industry in Kenya has suffered huge losses to the cartels that pirate their books. Recently, the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) seized over 10,000 books...
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March 17, 2017
You Snooze, You Lose: Tough Lessons for Fashionprenuers against Fashion Empires
Once upon a time, I had a conversation with a Kenyan fashion designer. I was rather curious as to whether he has ever sought legal counsel for his business. His reply was rather puzzling. “Clothes are just clothes” he said. “Who needs a lawyer in...
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March 8, 2017
Rise & Shine Fashionprenuers: Intellectual Property Law is a Necessity to Flourish in the Fashion Business!
If I had started my new column Fashion Law 3 years ago, you would have all been wondering whether I am making my own areas of law up. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, dudes and duddettes. Fashion Law is a thing. An area of law that...
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October 11, 2016
FROM KING TO PAUPER: THE FUTURE OF KENYAN CONTENT WITH THE PROPOSED KFCB BILL
Where do I start? To put it mildly, the proposed piece of legislation by the Kenya Film Classification Board has got to be the joke of the century! I have read its contents and I am equally amused as I am dismayed and possibly heartbroken...
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July 19, 2016
Intellectual Property Law and Issues Emerging During UNCTAD14
I had a very interesting afternoon today. I attended the side event being hosted by HEVA Fund in partnership with UNCTAD14, HIVOS, UNDP, USAID and FORUM SYD. Having been an active lawyer in the Kenyan creative economy for close to 6 years now, I am...
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April 8, 2016
Working hours everyday
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January 18, 2016
DISSECTING ELANI’S VIDEO AND MUSIC BUSINESS IN KENYA: PART 1 – OF VIRTUAL AND DESKTOP WARFARE
We have all watched the video released by Elani #ElaniSpeaks a few days ago. There are a few issues I would love to blog about that came out in the video. However, for Part 1, I will start with the always controversial topic: Royalties and...
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