JW Seagon protects Safari Plan concept
By David Seagon
JW Seagon launched its innovative and successful Safari Plan package insurance policy in 2014 and it has gone from strength to strength. It was an involved and time consuming project, but ultimately it has resulted in a product that is a true friend to the industry. Obviously, we have to protect our intellectual property rights and we have done and will continue to do so. Below is a communication issued which will explain things in more detail.
RE: HCCC No. 512 of 2016 – JW Seagon & Co. Insurance Brokers vs. Liaison Group (I.B) Limited, Jubilee Insurance and SATIB.
As you may be aware, JW Seagon & Co. Insurance Brokers (K) Ltd (JWS) have been at the forefront of developing new Packaged policies for the Kenyan and Tanzanian market. It takes a lot of time, effort and commitment to bring these products to market and we are grateful to our Partners in these regions who have and are supporting these exciting changes.
JWS takes the protection of its intellectual property developed from expending significant time and other resources very seriously and will always look to lawfully enforce the rights associated with them in any market it operates in.
To this end, we would like to notify you that we recently brought a copyright infringement action before the Kenyan High Court against Liaison Group (I.B) Limited, Jubilee Insurance and SATIB seeking among other remedies, a temporary injunction against them and their agents from dealing with using, publishing, distributing or making available to the public an insurance product known as Safari Shield that was anchored on our Safari Plan insurance policy, protected under copyright law in Kenya. An injunction was granted in JWS’s favour on 1st November 2017.
In this regard, we wish to bring to your attention that unless this decision is overturned, any party who knowingly and wilfully engages in any act that would amount to a violation of the copyright in our Safari Plan policy would be facing a similar law suit from JWS. In addition, JWS will not hesitate to institute legal proceedings against any person or parties that offer the infringing product that was the subject matter of this law suit, for sale.
We would be happy to discuss the finer details of this matter face to face should you so require.
We strongly believe that competition within the industry is both welcome and healthy but not if it involves the infringement of any Broker’s rights.
Thank you for your support to date.
David Seagon
Managing Director