The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat has warned against the unauthorised use of its name, acronym and logo, stressing they were legally protected trademarks.
In a public notice, the Secretariat said “Southern African Development Community”, “SADC” and its logo are registered marks, and any unauthorised use constitutes infringement of its intellectual property rights.
“Any unauthorised use of these trademarks… may result in appropriate legal action,” it said.
The regional bloc said operating within Southern Africa does not entitle any entity to use its branding.
“The mere fact of operating within the Southern African region does not confer any right… to adopt the name ‘SADC’ or utilise the SADC brand, identity, or associated trademarks,” the notice said.
SADC urged the public and organisations to refrain from using its protected marks, which are reserved for official programmes, activities and events.
It advised those seeking permission or clarification to contact its Communication and Public Relations Unit.
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