Agency, franchise, and distribution agreements in Nigeria

Aspire Solicitors has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating all types of agency franchise and distribution agreements in Nigeria. We advise international clients on the conclusion, interpretation, performance, enforcement, and termination of their contracts, including in connection with litigation or arbitration proceedings.

Aspire Solicitors advises Nigerian and international clients on all aspects of IP law. We are one of the leading IP firms in Nigeria and our aim is to be the largest adviser in this field. We provide advice on Nigerian trademark and patent law and are also able, through our international contacts, to assist clients in cases involving other countries or relating to IP infringements on the Internet. We hold one of the leading positions in foreign trademark and patent filings in Nigeria.

E-commerce in Nigeria
E-commerce in Nigeria is an area characterized by rapid development and involves new opportunities and risks to businesses. Aspire Solicitors assists a large number of transnational companies, foreign law firms, and international clients in connection with the marketing and sale of their products on the Internet, and also across Nigeria. In many cases, such activities are associated with special legal challenges, including in relation to:

Intellectual property rights protection
Brand protection and anti-counterfeiting
Consumer rights in Nigeria
Rules on means of payment
Marketing rules in Nigeria
Processing of personal data
Privacy and data protection in Nigeria
Selling on Amazon, Alibaba, Jumia, Jiji, etc.
Disclosure obligations
Complex rules on choice of law and jurisdiction

We also advise clients who risk incurring liability for damages or criminal liability under the rules applying to internet service providers.

For advisory, please contact a member of our team or email admin@aspiresolicitors.com.

Legal Due Diligence and Risk Management in Nigeria

Aspire Solicitors assist international clients with legal due diligence and investigations in Nigeria. We draw up vendor due diligence reports and assist in the implementation of legal compliance procedures.

We also regularly advise on corporate risk management and IPR enforcement strategies in Nigeria, and if required, assist with company registration services in Nigeria for our clients that are based abroad.

We maintain a close dialogue with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria’s Industrial Property Office, Nigeria Customs Service, Food and Drug Authority. We help businesses to quickly get up and running safely and in full compliance with Nigerian law requirements.

We are the leading experts in international trade law and intellectual property law in Nigeria. If you find your product or design infringed by anyone in Nigeria, or find yourself accused of infringing someone else’s IP rights in Nigeria, we can advise and assist you safely, efficiently, and quickly.

For advisory, legal assessment, or help in dealing with the authorities, consumers, competitors, or anyone else in Nigeria, email at admin@aspiresolicitors.com.

Legal Due Diligence and Risk Management in Nigeria

Trademark Registration in Nigeria is a practice that Aspire Solicitors enjoys enormous collaboration from international law firms. Our lawyers have for many years provided advice and conducted trademark application filings in Nigeria for overseas companies and foreign brands that are operating in Nigeria. We also represent our clients at all instances in high-profile disputes about trademarks, and in trademark opposition in Nigeria.

Trademark law often involves international aspects. Aspire Solicitors’ IP group cooperates with a wide network of international contacts who have expert knowledge and experience and who may provide assistance and conduct cases abroad for our clients, at short notice if need be.

We regularly advise a large number of Nigerian and foreign businesses in cases involving trademarks, and other distinctive marks.

Assistance in Trademark Registration in Nigeria includes the following:

Strategic and practical advice for the purpose of protecting and enforcing our clients’ Nigerian and international rights as well as dispute resolution;
Advice in cases relating to brand protection and anti-counterfeiting in Nigeria;
Advice in cases of customs enforcement and seizures;
Advice in cases involving parallel imports from other countries into Nigerian territory.
Brand Imitation in Nigeria
Over many years, Aspire Solicitors has developed a unique position in the area of product or brand imitation. We assist in Nigerian as well as international counterfeiting disputes and in other product imitation cases, where the principal question often is whether a given product is an imitation. We often assist in customs seizure cases, and in search and seizure, enforcement, and imitation proceedings involving copyright, marketing, trademark, and design right law.

We also provide expert advice to our clients on:
Whether and how a product can and should be protected;
How to avoid infringing the rights of others;
How to register a trademark in Nigeria;
Which procedural strategy may be pursued in case of infringement proceedings.
Issuing and responding to cease and desist letters.
For advisory on trademark registration in Nigeria, contact a member of our team directly, WhatsApp +234 803 979 5959, or email at admin@aspiresolicitors.com.

PCT National Stage Application in Nigeria

One of Aspire Solicitor’s greatest strength is in helping clients with patents. We are particularly experienced in helping companies achieve their patenting objectives in a way that allows them to budget their expenditures to scale with the growth of their business.

We provide comprehensive patent services in Nigeria as well as direct filing and prosecution services.

Obtaining Patents in Nigeria

Patenting is a complex process. We understand that and proactively counsel our clients on the status and management of their applications at every step of the process to help them make informed filing and prosecution decisions and budget the associated costs.

Drafting and Filing a Patent Application in Nigeria

If it looks like patent protection can be obtained or patent protection is pursued without conducting an initial search, the next step is that we draft a patent application for the proposed invention. If a patentability assessment has been conducted the prior art references uncovered during the patent search will help us draft claims that could receive early allowance from the patent office.

Once a patent application is prepared and approved by the inventors, most applicants will choose either to file it in Nigeria or to pursue a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application.

We file Nigerian patent applications directly with the Nigerian Industrial Property Office as your patent agent, and also arrange and supervise the filing and prosecution of patent applications in foreign jurisdictions through our network of foreign patent attorneys.

PCT National Stage Application in Nigeria | Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Applications in Nigeria

If there is interest in potentially obtaining patent protection across several jurisdictions, it often makes sense to file the initial regular patent application as a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application.

We typically file PCT applications for clients who ultimately wish to file patent applications in seven or more jurisdictions or at least wish to defer decisions about filing beyond the usual one year convention priority deadline to 30 months from the earliest provisional or non-provisional patent application filing. This allows you additional time to evaluate the commercial reception of the invention before determining the extent to which patent protection will be pursued around the world.

Foreign Patent Network

We also provide Nigerian application filing and prosecution services to foreign associates in need of a Nigerian patent agent and representative for service. We file both national phase entry patent applications from PCT patent applications and regular national patent applications in Nigeria.

Patent Sales and Patent Licences in Nigeria

We can help you with the legal agreements for a sale or licensing of your issued patent or pending patent application.

For advisory on PCT National Stage Application in Nigeria, contact a member of our team directly, WhatsApp +234 803 979 5959, or email at admin@aspiresolicitors.com.

IP Lawyers in Nigeria

Experienced Corporate and Transactional IP Lawyers in Nigeria

Aspire Solicitors prepares, negotiates, and advises on all types of intellectual property agreements, including assignments, licences (including trademark, copyright, industrial design, patent, and software licences), joint ownership agreements, non-disclosure agreements, confidentiality agreements, website terms of use, privacy policies for use on your website, terms and conditions for mobile applications, advertising and marketing agreements, and agreements for authors and creators.

Our team has significant experience with corporate and transactional IP, including experience acting as IP counsel for businesses on a number of sizeable commercial transactions as well as working for businesses in employment or independent contractor relationships and working with professional authors, musicians and artists in the negotiation of royalties and sale of works in employment or independent contractor relationships.

IP Assignments and Licences in Nigeria

Our IP Lawyers in Nigeria prepare and file assignments of intellectual property rights and waivers of moral rights for businesses to use with their employees or contractors in Nigeria. Where intellectual property has already been created by employees, contractors, or in other circumstances, without any agreement, we can determine who owns the IP and, if needed, draft suitable documentation for transferring the intellectual property rights to the company.

If there is an existing written or oral agreement in place, we can advise on the adequacy of protection provided by such agreement and, if appropriate, recommend supplementary documentation or remedial action to address any defects.

We also draft assignments and licences for all types of intellectual property rights as part of commercial transactions such as purchases or sales whether between independent parties or related companies.

Joint Ownership Agreements

Where intellectual property is created jointly, we can prepare joint ownership agreements to set out the respective rights and obligations of the parties.

Non-Disclosure Agreements

We can provide confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements for all types of circumstances, including disclosing confidential technical information such as an unpublished patent application in preliminary discussions as to whether to enter into a business arrangement with another party such as a service provider or investor.

IP/IT Agreements in Nigeria

Companies and individuals operating their business online should take steps to minimize legal exposure. Whether providing e-commerce services in Nigeria, preparing to launch a website for Nigerian consumers, developing a mobile app, or offering online advertising services to target Nigerian users, we can draft agreements to help protect you and ensure that your business is compliant with Nigerian law.

Every Internet-based business model is unique. We draft tailored terms and conditions which take into account the particular risks faced by your business, reflect your business’s goals, and cater to your desired user experience. Where collecting personal identifiable information is a part of your business model, we prepare privacy policies compliant with Nigerian data protection laws.

Advertising and marketing practices in Nigeria are increasingly moving online, and the industry has shifted to offer merchants increasingly complex marketing opportunities. We work with our clients to define these relationships in direct advertising agreements and affiliate marketing agreements.

Agreements for Authors, Artists, and Content Creators in Nigeria

Like in all other industries, contracts for authors, artists, and content creators help create certainty and clarity. In creative industry contracts are especially important for identifying and allocating intellectual property rights.

If you are a writer, musician artist, designer, entertainer, content creators, or photographer entering into business with another party or providing a service we can help you protect your works and allocate rights by reviewing or preparing agreements including, for example: publishing agreements, photography agreements, consignment agreements, contributor agreements, model release agreements and fashion modeling contracts. Where necessary we draft thorough assignments of copyright and waivers of moral rights for creators and authors.

IP Due Diligence in Nigeria

If you are involved in a commercial transaction, our IP Lawyers in Nigeria can provide due diligence in Nigeria on the owned and licensed intellectual property assets of the acquisition target. Alternatively, we can act for the target in identifying and preparing the pertinent details of its owned and licensed intellectual property for the potential acquirer.

IP Audit in Nigeria

In preparation for an acquisition, we can provide an IP audit to create an inventory of your intellectual property and make recommendations on further steps to enhance its value and to address risks. An audit will address whether you own certain IP, whether you have sufficient rights to use the IP that you do not own, and whether adequate steps are being taken to protect the IP created by your employees or independent contractors. Audits are a useful diagnostic tool that allow you to proactively address potential risks and enhance business value on your own schedule.

For advisory on IP matters in Nigeria, contact a member of our team directly, WhatsApp at +234 803 979 5959, or email at admin@aspiresolicitors.com.