South Africa: Law Firm Warns Against 2010 Counterfeiters - AllAfrica.com

Khulu PhasiweJohannesburg

WITH the 2010 World Cup slightly more than than two old age away, law house Werksmans have cautioned the event's patrons and South African companies to be vigilant in protecting their intellectual place rights against increasingly sophisticated counterfeiters.

The sale of contraband goods, often a direct transcript of the branded product, takes to significant loss of income to intellectual place rights holders.

"Come 2010 and beyond, claims might very well proliferate our courts, where complainant companies might seek to retrieve amends from forgers and those who unlawfully attempted to work the Simon Marks and trade names of legitimate proprietors during the theatrical production of the event," said Werksmans manager Eric Levenstein.

He said he was pleased that the trade and industry section had designated the tourney as a secure event in footing of the Merchandise Marks Act. This was done to forestall ambuscade sellers and hallmark infringers from attempting to capitalise on the immense promotion surrounding the event.

Ambush selling is where a seller willfully misleads the public into thought that he or she is an authorised patron or subscriber associated with the event, or usages an event to publicise his or her company.

"How this volition be policed by government and the tribunals stays to be seen," said Levenstein.

Werksmans said it was pleased that many South African companies were following in the stairway of their US, European Union and Nipponese opposite numbers in becoming far more than assertive in protecting and enforcing their intellectual place rights.

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"This displacement have begun in Sturmarbeiteilung and the measure up to full intellectual place recognition and protection, which includes registration, prelitigation and judicial proceeding enforcement, is overriding to endeavor success ," said Levenstein.

The local organising commission of the World Cup have cautioned companies and the mass mass media not to utilize the tournament's logotype and associated footing such as as "World Cup" and "2010" for promotional use.

The media is allowed to usage the footing for column intents only.