Control over advertisement and sale of cigarettes to tighten-up

In a move which highlights the Department of Health’s ongoing commitment to reduce smoking in South Africa, the Minister of Health has introduced a Bill which proposes to amend the Tobacco Products Control Act so as to further tighten-up the advertisement and sale of tobacco products.

The Tobacco Products Control Act currently bans the advertisement and promotion of tobacco products and also makes provision for certain required information to appear on the packages of tobacco products sold in South Africa.

Adams & Adams appoints new Chairman

Adams and Adams has again appointed Chris Job as Chairman. 

Job, a partner at Adams and Adams, has 35 years’ experience, specialising in trade mark law, unlawful competition, copyright and designs. His particular field of expertise focuses on High Court and other litigation.

He joined the firm as a senior partner in its trade marks department in 1993 and became Chairman of the firm in 1999, a position which he held until 2006.

Adams & Adams appoints two partners

Leading intellectual property law firm Adams and Adams has appointed two new partners, Lauren Ross and Bilkis Rassool.  Both are trade mark attorneys.

McDonalds refused leave to appeal by Supreme Court of Appeal

Newsflash

In an order dated 28 January 2008, the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa has dismissed (with costs) an application by McDonalds International Property Co. Limited for leave to appeal against a decision of the Full Bench of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the High Court upholding an earlier decision of the Registrar of Trade Marks refusing cancellation of the McBiscuit trade mark registration on the basis of several registrations for Mc and Mac trade marks.

Y’ello Who? MTN succeeds against Nando’s ads

In a recent decision, the Advertising Standards Authority (“ASA”) Directorate ruled that a combination of seemingly generic elements, when used together in a certain way, was the exclusive advertising property of a mobile telecommunications provider and that these had been imitated by a fast-food chain in its advertising.