Monday Roundup

John Syekei (MMC Advocates, Kenya) has sent Afro-IP the newly enacted Biosafety Act 2/2009 in Kenya which is "An Act of Parliament to regulate activities in genetically modified organisms, to establish the National Biosafey Authority, and for connect purposes."

John also explained that "This is a good development for Kenyan biotechnology law. Great steps being made in development of IP legislation, coming in the wake of the recent Anti Counterfeit Act, we are all encouraged by the Kenyan Government's initiative in protection and enforcement of Intellectual property rights."

Tim Ball (Brian Bacon & Associates) has informed us that the attorneys for the parties in the Servier v Cipla Medpro dispute were contacted by Da Silva AJ last week, and told his judgment would be handed down on Friday 6 March. Readers may recall that Tim's firm is acting for Cipla Medpro.

In Kenya, the Daily Nation has reported on a row that has broken out as a result of an attempt to patent the Maasai's genetic capacity to drink lots of milk. The row broke out a fortnight ago when South African researchers complained that the University of Maryland in the US had patented gene mutations collected from Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and South Africa. The application, filed in 2007 and published last year, records Prof Sarah Tishkoff – then with the University of Maryland – and Floyd Allan Reed as the inventors and sole applicants. You can read about it here.

Ghana Business News reports that speakers at the ECOWAS Intellectual Property (IP) protection workshop have proposed a common policy framework and guidelines for a more effective implementation and enforcement of IP rights in member countries.

Meanwhile, Afro-IP reached 200 email subscribers over the weekend and wishes to thank you for your continuing support. You can see how the real cricketers are doing in their gripping encounter, ball-by-ball here.