From the Chair

Updates about the Chair, the Members and the IP Unit

Judging IP Law

Posted on Dec 4, 2013

Judging IP Law

On Monday this week (2 December 2013) the President of the Republic appointed several new judges to the courts of South Africa including, most notably, Maria (Mabel) Jansen SC. It is with pleasure, and no small measure of pride, that this Chair conveys its congratulations to Judge Jansen on being elevated to the South Gauteng High Court (formerly the Johannesburg High Court) and wishes her well. Following the retirement of Judge Louis Harms from the Supreme Court of Appeal, this Chair (and many others) lamented the lack of IP expertise on the bench in South Africa. For this reason, the...

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News Media: Prof Dean on plain packaging

Posted on May 31, 2013

News Media: Prof Dean on plain packaging

In the past three days, six articles appeared in six different national newspapers referring to Prof Dean’s landmark inaugural lecture at Stellenbosch University regarding the unconstitutional impact of Government’s proposed ban on tobacco branding on trade mark property rights. Prof Dean was also interviewed on this topic by 702 Talk radio (listen here) and 567 Cape Talk (listen here) on this topic. The full text and podcast of Prof Dean’s inaugural lecture is available here. Click on an image to enlarge:   CAPE ARGUS – 29 May CAPE TIMES – 31 May DIE...

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Interview: Prof Dean on Cape Talk

Posted on May 31, 2013

Interview: Prof Dean on Cape Talk

Prof Dean was interviewed by Kieno Kammies for 567 Cape Talk radio today (31 May 2013) on World No Tobacco Day. Prof Dean discussed why Government’s proposed ban on tobacco branding (by means of plain packaging) is unconstitutional and amounts to brand genocide. The interview relates to his inaugural address and subsequent publications. This interview followed on Prof Dean’s previous interview with 702 Talk Radio (listen here).   You can listen to the interview on Cape Talk radio here.   Description (from Cape Talk): Prohibiting trademarks amounts to brand...

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Interview: Prof Dean on The Money Show

Posted on May 31, 2013

Interview: Prof Dean on The Money Show

Prof Dean was interviewed by Bruce Whitfield on 702 Talk Radio for “The Money Show”. The topic of the interview was Five reasons: Why prohibiting the use of trademarks on tobacco products makes no sense.    This interview followed on the topic of Prof Dean’s inaugural address at Stellenbosch University. You can listen to the radio interview here:       Follow Share on...

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Podcast: Prof Dean’s Inaugural Lecture

Posted on May 23, 2013

Podcast: Prof Dean’s Inaugural Lecture

On 21 May 2013 Prof Owen Dean delivered his inaugural address at Stellenbosch University to a select audience of 130 academic peers, University officials and delegates. The topic of Prof Dean’s address was “Deprivation of Trade Marks through State Interference in their Usage”. The full text of Prof Dean’s article is available here. The illustrations used during the lecture is available here.   You can listen to the lecture here. (NOTE to on-campus users: Open Inetkey to listen to the recording).       Follow Share on...

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Inaugural Lecture – Prof Owen Dean

Posted on May 8, 2013

Inaugural Lecture – Prof Owen Dean

Professor Owen Dean will deliver his inaugural lecture on Tuesday 21 May 2013 at 17:30 to mark his investiture as professor of intellectual property law at Stellenbosch University. The topic of his address is Deprivation of Trade Marks Through State Interference in Their Usage.  Summary: The lecture will address the topic of deprivation of trade marks, particularly those of tobacco products, by legislative intervention that propose to limit the use of such trade marks for reasons of public interest, particularly public health. With reference to the recent Australian cases where the state...

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