2/7. Trademarklaw exists to prevent consumer confusion and protect genuine brand identities, but it also recognizes that overly generic or descriptive words can’t be monopolized by one party.

Now, if Zap Africa is trying to claim exclusive rights over the word “Zap” alone, that’s a tough sell. It’s like trying to claim ownership over words like “Click” or “Fast.” Unless they’ve built a strong reputation or acquired distinctiveness over the years, it’s not realistic

4/7But here’s where Paystack did something clever. They didn’t just name their product “Zap”, they called it “Zap by Paystack.” Adding “by Paystack” gives their service a distinctive identity. It’s a brand extension with clear origin, something trademark law actually encourages.

5/7. From a legal standpoint, Paystack’s approach is solid. They took a generic term and made it distinctive by associating it with their established brand name. That’s how branding works. If anything, Paystack has the stronger case here.

6/7. I think this whole issue is a good reminder for startups and businesses: Choose names that are distinctive, or if you’re using a common word, make sure you pair it with something that makes it unique and easily identifiable. Paystack played it smart here.

7/7. Photocredit: IPSERIES #ip #trademark #infringement #genericwords

I made a blogpost recently on “How to leverage the internet as a business owner in 2025”. I didn't get to post it cos of a reason or the other. But, if you're a business owner or wanting to start a business, this is for you. Z. A AYARA DIL, LLB, AICMC. medium.com/@ayarawahab/ho…

As an internet user, it’s important to know some basic laws that regulate what you tweet. Even personal opinions or jokes can implicate you if they cross certain boundaries.Don’t tweet to Jail. Think before you tweet. Deleting a post will not save you from liability. Thread🧵⬇️

1. The First Law, on the list is section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. The constitution guarantees freedom of speech but that freedom must be exercised reasonably without infringing on the rights of other citizens.

While you have right to freedom of expression,note that this right is not absolute. This right doesn’t allow you to make tweet or post which may incite violence. Hate speech is allowed. Statement which may cause threats to national security or public order is also prohibited.

2. Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015. This is the principal legislation that addressed cybercrime and general online behavior. This law criminalizes cyberstalking, cyberbullying, defamation, sharing of false Information, hate speech, child pornography.See s.24

3. You also need to know the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDPA). This law prohibits sharing of people’s private data (e.g. phone numbers, addresses, bank info) without consent. This is common among twitter users and influencers.

4. Copyright Act 2023. This law is very important as it regulates intellectual property rights. It prohibits sharing copyrighted music,videos, images, or writing without the permission of the owner.This can result in legal action. Stealing of contents or people’s work is illegal.

5. The Penal Code and the Criminal Code. Penal code is applicable in the north while Criminal code is applicable in the south. That notwithstanding, the two laws criminalizes defamation of character, spreading of false news and statements which may incite public unrest.

The above laws are important and they regulate online activities. It is my advice that internet users comply with the extant laws to prevent legal liability.Don’t impersonate others. Don’t share private messages of others without especially if it can cause reputational harm.

In conclusion, think before you tweet. Even deleting a post doesn’t remove your liability once it's been screenshot or archived. Using “allegedly” will not save you from legal liability. Don’t tweet to jail. Thank you. Usman A. Lanase Esq, LL.B, BL. AICMC.

This month showed me its own shege, made good decisions and bad decisions that I’m genuinely not happy about. But in all, I unlearned, learned, connected and outsourced. I hope that the remaining days, next month and the rest of 2025 would be favourable to us all 🤲🤗

To the genuine friends that link us up for better opportunities, offer us substantial values, support us in many ways and love to forever remain in the background like our shadows, thank you and we sincerely appreciate, may God continue to bless y’all🤲🤗

linkedin.com/posts/z-a-ayar…. I wrote something on true caller as it relates to breach of data privacy. Read, repost, comment and like please

linkedin.com/posts/z-a-ayar…. I finally wrote on recycling of phone numbers and how it breaches old user's right to data privacy. It is very much beneficial to us all, so read and digest please, repost, comment and like, thanks