Kelly Thompson

is a Partner in the trade mark litigation group at Adams & Adams. She is an experienced, top-tier ranked attorney and trade mark practitioner. With 16 years of post-qualification experience, Thompson advises some of the world’s top multi-national organizations on the protection and enforcement of their brands and other intellectual property in Africa. She also specializes in advertising law and disputes. She graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with a Bachelor of Arts in 1996, and acquired her LLB in 1998 from the same institution. Thompson is a member of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, and a fellow with the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL).

For more information or to contact Ms. Thompson, please visit her Firm Profile Page.

Recent Articles by Kelly Thompson

A TWIST in the tale: Not your typical cola war

This case was not your typical “cola war”, but rather involved TWIST, the well-known carbonated beverage brand which has been available in South Africa since the 1970s (originally as LEMON TWIST). Atlantic is the proprietor in South Africa of the TWIST, LEMON TWIST and DIET TWIST trade marks in relation to non-alcoholic drinks falling in class 32. PepsiCo applied to register the trade marks PEPSI TWIST and a PEPSI TWIST label, also in relation to non-alcoholic beverages in class 32… In finding in favor of Atlantic in the opposition, the Court felt it necessary to only rule on the issue of confusing similarity, ie. whether the proposed PEPSI TWIST trade marks were sufficiently similar to Atlantic’s trade marks to create a likelihood of deception or confusion.

October 10, 2017

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