The (trade) dress code: protection and stopping imitation

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

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

The (trade) dress code: protection and stopping imitation

Sponsored by

Adams & Adams logo.jpg
The (trade) dress code protection and stopping imitation (1).png

Mandy Swanepoel and Lisa van Zuydam of Adams & Adams offer practical insights on protecting trade dress in South Africa and beyond, using both trademark and non-trademark tools

In the first episode of a two-part podcast series, Adams & Adams partner Mandy Swanepoel and senior associate Lisa van Zuydam discuss the complex topic of trade dress and its unique application in the African continent.

Talking to Managing IP's Tom Baker, Mandy and Lisa provide practical examples of distinctive uses of trade dress to protect a product's brand, and consider both the trademark and non-trademark tools used to prevent infringement and imitation.

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 administrative capital of South Africa, provides the perfect gateway through which its 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.

In 2021, experts from Adams & Adams co-produced a popular three-part podcast series on the IP enforcement of pharma in Africa.

You can find all the Managing IP podcasts here.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Partners Alex Wilson and Andreas Kramer say bigger law firm rivals don’t necessarily gain by having a wider jurisdictional reach
VO, which has offices in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, is the second European IP firm to secure external backing this week
The Bardehle Pagenberg attorneys-at-law discuss the firm’s Managing IP EMEA Awards 2026 success, Unified Patent Court litigation strategy, and evolving European patent trends
A patent battle between two legal tech companies and a loss for Elon Musk’s xAI against OpenAI were also among the top talking points
With drug prices a hot topic in the US, courts are seemingly more reluctant to prevent the entry of generics to the market
Academic Eden Sarid joins us during Pride Month to discuss queer expression and IP law, Patagonia v Pattie Gonia, and how queer and AI-generated creations both pose novelty concerns
Patent attorney Michael Henson joins the firm to lead its freshly launched blockchain and digital assets practice
A dispute over mammogram technology, and a development in the case between GSK and Moderna were also among the top talking points in recent weeks
With rankings for Western Europe set to be published on June 25, we sat down with our research lead to find out what practitioners and law firms can expect
Peter O’Sullivan, a professional services executive, says he is looking forward to helping Pearce IP become the leading life sciences firm in Australia and New Zealand
Gift this article