10/08/2017
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Copyright - Copyright, is a form of intellectual property law which protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture.
Trademarks - A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services.
Patents - A patent is a right, granted by the Government to an inventor, to exclude others from making, using, selling or importing an invention throughout the country without the inventor's consent. The inventor may license or sell the rights defined by the claims of the patent.
Industrial Designs - In principle, the owner of a registered industrial design or of a design patent has the right to prevent third parties from making, selling or importing articles bearing or embodying a design which is a copy, or substantially a copy, of the protected design, when such acts are undertaken for commercial purposes.
Trade secrets - trade secrets are protected without registration, that is, trade secrets are protected without any procedural formalities. Consequently, a trade secret can be protected for an unlimited period of time. For these reasons, the protection of trade secrets may appear to be particularly attractive for SMEs. There are, however, some conditions for the information to be considered a trade secret. Compliance with such conditions may turn out to be more difficult and costly than it would appear at first glance. While these conditions vary from country to country, some general standards exist which are referred to in Art. 39 of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement):
i. The information must be secret (i.e. it is not generally known among, or readily accessible to, circles that normally deal with the kind of information in question).
ii. It must have commercial value because it is a secret.
iii. It must have been subject to reasonable steps by the rightful holder of the information to keep it secret (e.g., through confidentiality agreements).
Intellectual property enforcement – this involves the Monitoring and researching third-party applications, uses and infringements; Engaging in satisfactory conflict resolution against infringers and, enforcing legal rights and equitable remedies in the courts where required;
Licensing - A licensing agreement is a partnership between an intellectual property rights owner (licensor) and another who is authorized to use such rights (licensee) in exchange for an agreed payment (fee or royalty)
Plant Varieties - is an intellectual property which gives breeders up to 25 years of exclusive control over new, distinct, uniform, and stable sexually reproduced or tuber propagated plant varieties.
Geographical Indications - A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.
Assignment of Intellectual property rights - this is the registration of assignment of any intellectual property right from one proprietor to the other at the intellectual property Registry in Nigeria
Renewal of Intellectual property rights - this is the renewal of existing intellectual property rights for example :trademarks, patents, designs and copyrights.
Registration of Change of name and/or address - this is the registration of the change of name and/or address of any intellectual property right from one proprietor to the other at the intellectual property Registry in Nigeria
Our Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) Practice is debatably the most experienced and efficient in Nigeria. Our experienced professionals are committed to offering our clients the relevant information and skills needed to duly register, commercialize, defend, and enforce all types of intellectual property in Nigeria. We possess the required expertise and experience in the area of intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, industrial designs, trade secrets and trademarks.
Our IP practice covers contentious and non-contentious issues relating to trademarks, patents, trade secrets, copyright, industrial designs, passing off/unfair competition, plant varieties and integrated circuits. We work with clients to properly and cost-effectively secure, protect and enforce their IP rights in Nigeria, and globally.
Our International clients ranges from multinationals in various industries such as telecommunications, information technology, banking and other financial services, hardware and software, goods and services, pharmaceuticals, media and entertainment and manufacturing. We have consistent in meeting and superseding our client’s needs due to our unrivalled expertise and excellence in acquiring and protecting their most important IPRs needs in Nigeria.
