Tag: IntellectualProperty
Trademark dispute – Katy Perry vs Katie Perry
Katy is a hugely successful American pop star. Her fame carried her to extraterrestrial heights and even extended briefly into outer space for an unforgettable 10 minutes and 21 seconds. Beyond her music career, she has established a suite of companies to safeguard her various commercial ventures. Killer Queen, LLC serves as the vehicle through which she protects and manages her intellectual property rights.
The replica dispute – when a house becomes a lawsuit
When a private home becomes the centrepiece of a Bad Bunny production, the legal foundations may be just as important as the concrete ones. Eighty-four-year-old Puerto Rican homeowner Román Carrasco Delgado ("Carrasco"), who says he designed and built his distinctive salmon-coloured home with his brother, filed a lawsuit in Puerto Rico's Superior Court in September 2025 against several defendants, including Bad Bunny.
Digital interface branding – the new brand battleground
Digital business is the new frontier of modern entrepreneurship, and applications (apps) have become the gateway to almost every service imaginable. In a global economy driven by interconnectivity and advancing technology, start-up companies in all digital industries, particularly in FinTech, are quickly becoming the Oil and Rail industry equivalent of the 21st century.
Patenting genetic innovation – lessons from REGENXBIO v Sarepta
As gene therapy technologies continue to reshape modern medicine, patent law increasingly faces a difficult task. Courts must distinguish products of nature from genuine biological engineering. They frequently decide whether inventions involving genetic material represent technological innovation or merely identify naturally occurring biological features.
Functional foods and patent law – medicine or food?
As consumer demand shifts towards healthier lifestyles, the food industry is rapidly evolving beyond traditional nutrition. Diet trends such as keto, vegan and other wellness-focused regimes are driving investment into products that offer more than basic sustenance. These include functional beverages, plant-based alternatives, enhanced infant formulas and botanically enriched foods.
A spicy trade dress dispute – TABASCO® meets Vodka
What do vodka and pepper sauce have in common? Surprisingly, their packaging. In January 2026, the McIlhenny Company filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court. It targeted Stoli Group (USA) LLC. The claim alleges that Stoli’s new “Halapeño Pepper” vodka infringes on TABASCO® pepper sauce trade dress. This marks the start of a spicy trade dress dispute.
Luxury dupes – IP law, influencers and SARS
The South African media have recently reported growing concern within SARS about the online promotion of so-called “luxury dupes”. Dupes are short for “duplicates” and represent products that mimic well-known luxury brands and are often promoted on TikTok, Instagram and other social platforms, but at a fraction of the price.
Nice Classification 13th edition adoption – key trademark changes
South Africa has officially adopted the 13th Edition of the Nice Classification (NCL 13-26) with effect from 1 January 2026. The World Intellectual Property Office implemented this edition on the same date. The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) gave notice through Practice Note 3 of 2025, published on 9 December 2025. The notice confirms that the updated classification applies to all trademark specifications from 1 January 2026.
