OBA OLUFON & CO.

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Intellectual property.

Protecting and enforcing intellectual property — registration, licensing and contentious enforcement that defends brand value and proprietary positions.

Why this matters

Brands that are not registered are brands that cannot be defended.

The single biggest IP failure in Nigerian businesses is the assumption that use creates a right. It does not. Without a registered mark, the brand cannot ground an infringement action, cannot be licensed cleanly, and cannot be sold with the goodwill. The firm puts the registry position right before the commercial position can be defended.

— IP bench

Services

What the firm covers in this practice.

Mandates scope to a single registration, a portfolio of marks under one owner, or contentious enforcement against infringers.

Phase 01

Registration & portfolio

  • Trademark search & filing

    Classes chosen to cover the business as it actually operates.

  • Copyright advisory

    Registration and chain-of-title for creative and commercial works.

  • Patent & designs

    Filing strategy and prosecution support.

  • Portfolio management

    Renewals, opposition tracking and assignment chain hygiene.

Phase 02

Commercialisation

  • Licensing agreements

    Royalty structures, audit rights and quality control that survive a counterparty review.

  • Franchise & distribution

    IP-backed commercial structures across multiple territories.

  • Assignment & transfer

    Clean assignment chain on acquisition, financing or restructuring.

  • IP-backed finance

    Security interests over IP for lenders and corporates.

Phase 03

Enforcement

  • IP enforcement

    Infringement actions, customs seizures and platform takedowns.

  • Brand protection litigation

    Injunctive relief, account of profits and damages.

  • Opposition & cancellation

    Defending registrations at the registry, not just in court.

  • Counterfeit interdiction

    Customs and inland operations co-ordinated with enforcement agencies.

Approach

How a intellectual property brief moves through the firm.

Four steps. Click any one to see the artifacts produced.

Step 01 · Artifacts

Search & strategy

  • Clearance search
  • Class & territory map
  • Filing strategy memo
  • Engagement letter

Step 02 · Artifacts

Filing & publication

  • TM application bundle
  • Acceptance notice
  • Examination response
  • Publication record

Step 03 · Artifacts

Registration & opposition

  • Opposition response
  • Certificate of registration
  • Portfolio docket
  • Renewal calendar

Step 04 · Artifacts

Enforcement

  • Cease-and-desist letter
  • Interim injunction application
  • Customs watch listing
  • Platform takedown notice
  • Damages assessment

Who we represent

Clients the firm acts for in this practice.

A representative — not exhaustive — list of the clients the firm accepts mandates from under intellectual property.

Consumer brands & FMCG Creative industries & media Technology & software Pharma & healthcare Franchise systems Foreign brand-owners in Nigeria Universities & research institutions Designers, authors & artists
A Nigerian brand owner and IP lawyer reviewing a trademark registration certificate together, with branded packaging on the desk.
Consumer brands, creative industries and IP-rich businesses form the spine of the firm’s intellectual property practice.

What success looks like

The outcomes the firm aims for.

01

Marks registered cleanly in the right classes

Clearance, classification and prosecution managed so the certificate arrives.

02

Licences that audit successfully

Royalty mechanics, quality control and audit rights drafted to perform.

03

Infringement met with an injunction

Interim relief positioned to stop the infringer’s revenue, not just to claim damages.

04

Counterfeits stopped at the port

Customs watch listings and platform takedowns co-ordinated with enforcement.

Bench on this matter

Partner-led from intake.

The named partners on an IP file are the partners who run it. Associates assist; they do not replace.

Oba Olufon, SAN

Senior partner · IP

Leads IP enforcement and brand-protection litigation across Nigerian and cross-border infringement matters.

Partner, licensing

Partner · prosecution & licensing

Trademark prosecution, licensing and assignment chain hygiene for portfolio owners.

Engage the firm

Brief us on an IP matter.

Initial consultations are confidential. You’ll leave with a clear view of your registry position, where it is exposed, and what enforcement is realistic.

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