The May 2010 issue of Oxford University Press's monthly publication, the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice (JIPLP), carries an article, "Africa rising to the anti-counterfeiting challenge", by Marius Haman (partner, Bowman Gilfillan). According to the abstract,
"Legal context and key points: The global trade in counterfeit goods is growing at an alarming rate. Africa is increasingly being targeted as a destination for counterfeit goods. A new trend has been identified by the World Customs Organisation's Counterfeiting and Piracy Unit. It indicates that Africa is being used as a transit route for counterfeit goods, posing an indirect threat to European and American markets. This new trend challenges existing African anti-counterfeiting strategies. Africa's response by way of legal reforms, national and international co-operation is explored in this article.
Practical significance: The disproportionate size of Africa's informal or "parallel economy" (compared to that of Western nations), coupled with its rising economic fortunes, impacts on the counterfeiting problem. By adopting creative business models, IPR owners are finding new ways to combat counterfeiting".Gratifyingly for Afro Leo, the author kindly mentions the Afro-IP weblog as a welcome initiative in helping to enrich debate. Thanks!
