The January 2014 issue of the European Intellectual Property Review, despite its name, has two pieces of particular interest to the African IP community.
The first is "The Rooibos Rush", the lead opinion by Cobus Jooste (Faculty of Law, Stellenbosch University). According to the abstract
The second, "Essential Medicines and the Complexity of Implementing Nationally Based Compulsory Licensing: On the Need for a Regional System of Compulsory Licensing in Sub-Saharan Africa", is by Thaddeus Manu (Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary, University of London)."The wealth of natural and indigenous resources in South Africa presents a challenge to intellectual property law, particularly when trade mark protection for terms that denote the origin of uniquely South African goods is sought abroad. Recent developments in the use of the Merchandise Marks Act, as the basis for protection of ROOIBOS as a geographical indication in terms of the TRIPS Agreement, illustrate the difficulties faced by South African producers".
The European Intellectual Property Review (EIPR) is published monthly by Sweet & Maxwell.
