It’s April 26th again, a day we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day. In line with this year’s theme, IP and Sports, I have decided to spotlight 10 key IP disputes in the sports industry.
There is more IP in sports than people think. In this edition, I looked at disputes involving football clubs like Liverpool FC, where the club was opposed when it tried to trademark the word “Liverpool” on the basis that it is the name of a city. I also went further to discuss an IP dispute involving Manchester City FC, which might come as a surprise to many.
Do ensure you read!
Happy World IP Day 🥂
Check comment section for link
I had a great time with the students of University of Uyo some days ago and it's really a good one.
I’m glad the core idea landed. One thing I’m always intentional about is breaking things down in a way that makes people see the difference between concepts that are often used interchangeably but mean very different things in practice.
That was the whole point of discussing things like franchise vs. license, innovation vs. invention, and intellectual property vs. intellectual property rights. Once you understand those distinctions, a lot of confusion disappears, and you start to think more clearly about how to build and protect.
The goal has never been to sound complex, it is to make things simple enough to be applied. Because at the end of the day, if founders cannot apply what they learn, then the knowledge is not useful.
I don’t fully agree. Theoretically, you can file anything, but in practice, you are still bound by professional responsibility and the court’s patience.
Frivolous applications also affect your credibility. And once the court starts seeing you that way, it carries into everything else you file.
So yes, there is flexibility in procedure, but it is not as open-ended as it sounds. There is a line, and most lawyers know better than to cross it.
I get the point, but I don’t think it’s that absolute.
A first class shows discipline and intellectual ability, but it does not automatically mean financial success. The market rewards value, not just grades.
I personally think one just needs to be very strategic. If you combine strong academic performance with practical skills and an understanding of how to position yourself, you are less likely to be first class and broke. One without the other is where the problem usually comes in.
I understand the strategy here, and in some cases it makes sense to avoid giving the other side a fair hearing angle on appeal and just move the matter forward on its merits. That said, it has to be applied carefully because procedural timelines are there to enforce discipline, and overlooking defaults too easily can encourage delay tactics. So while this approach can save time in the right situation, it should remain a deliberate, case by case decision, not the default.
At this point, part of the job is now debunking your client’s ChatGPT. 😭
They’ll send you a full argument at midnight like they just discovered the law themselves. Meanwhile you’re there wondering where to even start correcting it.
And the worst part is, you still have to bill for explaining why it doesn’t make sense 😅
A lot of lawyers are afraid of business, but want rich clients. That’s funny. If you don’t understand how businesses work, how do you want to advise people running multi-million naira operations? Law and business are twins, whether you like it or not.
I literally marked and graded myself 😂, trying my absolute best to convince myself that all is well, and somehow it felt valid in the moment.
But there’s actually science behind this. The brain is wired to seek certainty, especially when outcomes are unclear, so it creates coping mechanisms like replaying scenarios, self-assessing, and overanalyzing just to reduce that discomfort.
You tell yourself, “If I can just figure this out, I’ll feel better,” but it rarely works that way. That’s how overthinking traps you, and the tricky part is that it feels productive, like you’re solving something, when in reality, you’re just feeding the cycle.
The truth is, sometime, peace does not come from figuring everything out. It comes from accepting that you have done your best and allowing things to unfold.
Wishing all bar aspirants the very best in your results.
Have you guys ever heard about AI sycophancy?
We talk too much about AI hallucination, but nobody is talking about the one that is even more dangerous… AI hyping you up 😂
AI sycophancy is when an AI is conditioned, or tends, to agree with you and reinforce your assumptions. If you pay close attention, many of its responses follow a pattern where it affirms your position, builds on it, and presents it in a way that feels correct, even when your starting point is shaky.
You can literally be wrong with full confidence, and AI will help you upgrade that wrong into premium wrong. In fact, there is growing evidence that many AI systems are designed this way. The more an AI agrees with you and subtly validates your views, the more likely you are to trust it, rely on it, and continue using it.
At least with hallucination, you might catch fake cases if you check well. But this one? It will make your weak argument sound so clean that you won’t even think of verifying anything again.
So let's be careful while using AI. Sycophancy is another serious issue. There's an article i read sometimes ago where the author wrote in detail about this and how to avoid AI sycophancy responses with the right prompt. Will share the link in the comment section.
Moral of the story, if AI agrees with you too fast, relax, you might both be wrong together 😂
I can really relate to this because, looking back, most of the progress I’ve made in this profession didn’t come from playing safe, it came from being audacious. I got comfortable with reaching out, sending that message, asking the question, even when I felt like I had no business doing so at the time.
Even as a student, that mindset opened doors I genuinely could not have planned for. I found myself working with companies and occupying roles I didn’t even think were within reach at that stage, and a good number of them were foreign companies.
Funny enough, my very first real professional connection started like that. Just a message and that one step created a chain of opportunities that I’m still benefiting from today.
Sometimes, the difference between where you are and where you want to be is just one bold move that you’re overthinking.
Nothing dramatic will happen 😅 he just won’t be sworn on the Bible.
The court will take an affirmation instead. Same legal effect, just without the religious element. What matters is the commitment to tell the truth, not the format.