BMatanga

Address: 15 Downie Avenue, Belgravia, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Phone: +263 (242) 791296

WHO WE ARE

BMatanga IP Attorneys is an intellectual property law boutique law firm founded in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare. Strategically housed in close proximity to the headquarters of African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) in the leafy suburbs of Belgravia, one of Harare’s prime business areas. From Zimbabwe, the firm will help you navigate through the complex intellectual property law systems throughout the African region.

IP FOR AFRICA

As businesses take their products or services into the African continent ,it is important that they get expert legal services in this market. Africa is a huge market, covering 12 million square miles of the earth’s area and inhabited by over a billion people. We have observed that trying to juggle across 54 countries can be a nightmare for one who is not rooted in that territory. Having realised this, we deliberately set up a specialised intellectual property services firm in Africa as an anchor to give the legal support and address the intellectual property legal needs of companies, individuals, and institutions with business interests in Africa. Africa is our home, we understand our people, business culture and territory better, hence we have intentionally positioned ourselves to serve in this market.

THE INSPIRATION

A transformed world needs a transformed thinking and implementation. Thinkers need a safe environment to thrive. The law needs to aid their existence and enable these special beings to freely work their ideas and derive the value and compensation for their ingenuity. It is in this process of birthing ideas into life and the world’s evolution that a new breed of  specialised lawyers becomes crucial. We happen to have found purpose in this evolving sphere. Ours is to address this legal need by defending, protecting, and ensuring that anyone who seeks to innovate a product or a solution to life’s various complexities derives their value and renumeration of their sweat and brow. Huge investments are made in product development, valuable information is created, innovative solutions are invented, and all these intangible assets are what we call intellectual property.  More than a decade ago, we arose and stood for the creations of these special Clients.

WE CHOSE IP

The market is highly competitive and often times when a product is successful, competitors will attempt to make similar or identical products. There are vultures out there, waiting to pounce on these unsuspecting creators and reap profits where they did not expend a dime in creativity. Without incurring research and development costs, they sell the product or service at a lower price and sometimes even at equally competitive prices with the original creations.

It is for these reasons that any business and entity seeks to protect its innovative and creative work using the intellectual property system. Intellectual property protection gives one an exclusive right to use the intangible asset and the right to stop others from copying the protected intangible asset, all in a bid to derive optimum benefit of its investment in product creation. Appreciating the importance of these legal rights, we established ourselves to provide appropriate legal representation, advice, and assistance in such legal matters.

HISTORY

The firm was founded by Brenda Matanga in 2010 as a specialist legal services firm for companies, individuals, and institutions who are holders of intellectual property rights with business interests in the African region, who require having their commercial transactions taken care of, their intellectual property registered, managed, protected and or otherwise enforced and have done so successfully in the last 12 years. The firm prides itself in being a reputable market leader in this unique are of legal practice and has competitively served Clients from across the world. Recognition has come over the years to the firm and our founder. Amongst other eminent accolades the following are to be found:

1. Emerging IP Players Award -The IPR Gorilla (2019)
2. Leading Specialist Intellectual Property Law Attorney of the Year, Zimbabwe (2021)
3. Most Influential Woman in IP (Zimbabwe) – Global Excellence Awards by Acquisition International (2018) Top 50
4. Intellectual Property Law firm of the year (2022)-Global Law Experts Annual  Awards.

 

RELATIONSHIPS

We have built strong relationships and have established synergies with firms in various parts of the world who are global leaders in the industry. Our international outlook enables us to cater for clients with a global presence, provide globally applicable solutions and competently assist our clients in and outside Africa as we have reliable network of attorneys that we work with.

We are affiliated with the following bodies:

• Member of the Law Society of Zimbabwe
• Adams and Adams Africa -Zimbabwe representative firm
• Member of Prae-Legal Global Network – Zimbabwean representative law firm
• African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) – accredited IP Agent
• Member of the International Trademark Association (INTA)
• Member of Zimbabwe Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Agents (ZIPTA)

 

OUR SERVICES

Trademarks

We offer trademark registration, observation, search, investigation and portfolio management services.

 Patents

We value our clients’ ingenuity, efforts in research and development and we will assist Clients with protection and defending their patent rights.

Copyright

Services :-Copyright Infringement, Copyright Licensing, Copyright Litigation, Copyright Prosecution, Copyright Protection, Copyright Registration, Internet Copyright Law.

Domain Names

Services – We develop and implement clear domain policies. We give you legal opinions on domain name disputes and cybersquatting matters. We will represent you in cross border disputes through the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) procedure which is international in scope and is administered by the (World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Centre .

Counterfeiting

We devise strategies to counter infringements and unfair competition against our Clients’ intellectual property. We assist Clients in seizures, raids, interdicts, customs surveillance, obtaining Anton Pillar Orders and implementing other available legal remedies that ensure that our Clients’ rights and interests are adequately safe guarded from copy cats. Through our team of external investigators, surveillance of markets and customs can be carried out for our Clients.

Industrial designs

Services : Searches, Filings, Registration, Infringement, Licensing, Assignments, Renewals, Litigation and all related services.

Trade Secrets

Services: Theft of Trade Secrets, Trade Secret Misappropriation, Confidentiality Agreements and general advice pertaining to same.

Out of the realization that intellectual property interfaces with other areas of the law, we also provide an array of complementary commercial legal services which include Notarial practice services, Investment, Immigration, Tax & Securities Law.

OUR TEAM

Ours is growing firm with a lean, effective team of young, energetic, competent, and dynamic attorneys with strong academic backgrounds attained from prominent tertiary institutions. Our attorneys have obtained a wealth of experience in our area of expertise over the years and have represented global brands and ably served Clients from various parts of the world in numerous matters, some which have become leading judicial precedents in Zimbabwe.

WE ARE DIFFERENT

What distinguishes us is our unique appreciation of the intellectual property landscape and deep understanding of the market such that we develop effective strategies that enhance our clients’ competitive edge on the market. We adhere to a work culture of service excellence and all measures to ensure complete confidentiality of information are taken and adhered to with strictness at the firm. We are a progressive firm, employing the latest cutting-edge technology in our operational systems to enhance our service delivery.