Podcast: Adams & Adams discusses the challenges of registration in Africa

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Podcast: Adams & Adams discusses the challenges of registration in Africa

Sponsored by

adams.jpg
L to R: Jenny Pienaar and Kareema Shaik of Adams & Adams

Jenny Pienaar and Kareema Shaik of Adams & Adams consider pharmaceutical registration in the larger African markets, dealing with the challenges of registration and the subsequent enforcement of rights

In the second episode of the three-part podcast series by Adams & Adams on the IP enforcement of pharma in Africa, partners Jenny Pienaar and Kareema Shaik talk to Managing IP about pharmaceutical registration in the larger African markets.

The international registration system counts many African states as members – but its use is patchy. Although the Madrid System is effective globally, there are challenges to its efficiency in Africa. This is mainly due to varying local IP laws and registry systems across the continent. The experts explain how these obstacles can be overcome and how legal avenues are available to effectively address challenges.

The experts discuss the realities of the enforcement environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic and typical roadblocks faced by innovators because of problems attached to registration, while providing country-based examples to assist business leaders and consumers who work in the African IP field.

About Adams & Adams

Adams & Adams is an internationally recognised and leading African law firm that specialises in providing intellectual property, corporate and commercial services.

The firm is firmly rooted in Africa – with a tenacious belief in the economic growth potential and spirit of the continent. The head office in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, provides the perfect gateway through which our partners, supported by some 700 professionals and staff, render a broad range of legal services to clients in Africa and the rest of the world. 

Through its associate offices and long established networks, the firm serves a global client base throughout the African continent - in matters of intellectual property, commercial law, property and litigation.


Related content

Podcast: Adams & Adams discuss trends in anti-counterfeiting across Africa

Podcast: Adams & Adams discuss trends in patent litigation across South Africa

You can find all Managing IP podcasts here.


more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Jinwon Chun discusses the need for vigilance, his love for iced coffee, and preparing for INTA
Karl Barnfather’s new patent practice will focus on protecting and enforcing tech innovations in the electronics, AI, and software industries
Partner Ranjini Acharya explains how her Federal Circuit debut resulted in her convincing the court to rule that machine learning technology was not patent-eligible
Paul Hastings and Smart & Biggar also won multiple awards, while Baker McKenzie picked up a significant prize
Burford Capital study finds that in-house lawyers have become more likely to monetise patents, but that their IP portfolios are still underutilised
Robert Reading and Faidon Zisis at Clarivate unpick some of the data surrounding music-related trademarks
China's latest IP litigation statistics and a high-profile hire by O'Melveny were also among the top talking points this week
David Aylen, who spent more than 20 years at Gowling WLG, has joined United Trademark and Patent Services as of counsel in the UAE
Europe is among the most lucrative legal markets for PE firms to bet on, but clients’ reactions will decide whether external investment drives success
Rulings of note covered pre-June 2023 infringements and jurisdiction over non-UPC states, while winners of Managing IP’s EMEA Awards acted in multiple cases
Gift this article