We are proud to highlight our firm’s involvement in a complex intellectual property dispute concerning the infringement of registered industrial designs by a major telecommunications company.

The matter was expertly handled by our Partner, Nancy Karanu, who acted on behalf of our client — a company that had developed and registered unique industrial designs which were later used, without authorization, in a commercial product line launched by the telecom operator.

This case involved intricate legal and technical questions, including:

• The legal threshold for originality and protectability of industrial designs,
• The distinction between aesthetic and functional features,
• The evidentiary burden for establishing design infringement, and
• The commercial implications of unauthorized exploitation of registered designs.

Nancy Karanu led the matter with deep strategic insight and rigorous research, navigating an area of IP law that remains underdeveloped in Kenyan jurisprudence. The case reaffirmed the importance of industrial design rights as a key component of intellectual property protection — particularly in the fast-evolving tech and innovation sectors. We commend Nancy for her commitment to excellence and her ongoing contribution to the protection of innovation in Kenya.