The Kenya Industrial Property Institute has registered the acronym NASA as a trademark for the Northern Advocacy for Sustainable Agriculture which is a Non-Governmental Organisation, throwing the Opposition NASA into a spin.
A notice issued Friday shows that the Registrar of Trade Marks Leonard Kosgei has approved the issuance of the trademark application registering the acronym NASA to Martin Nkaari.
“Your application has been received, examined and approved. It is now proceeding for advertisement in the Industrial Property Journal, “the notice states.
NASA, which was registered by the NGO Coordination Board in 2016, moved to court this week seeking to block the Registrar of Political Party from registering the Opposition NASA arguing that it owns the trademark.
The NGO wants the Raila-Kalonzo-Mudavadi-Wetang’ula team blocked from registering the acronym as a political party or political coalition name.
In their prayers to the High Court, the NGO asked the High Court to issue a declaration that only the lobby can use the acronym NASA and a guarantee that the politicians will be forced to look for another name.
On January 11, 2017, the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) consisting of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Wiper Democratic Movement under the leadership of Kalonzo Musyoka and the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford)-Kenya spearheaded by Moses Wetang’ula and the Amani National Congress Chair Musalia Mudavadi converged to launch the National Super Alliance (NASA).
When political parties were requested to submit their details to the Registrar of Political Parties and to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the umbrella coalition identified itself as NASA.
Last week a NGO moved to court to bar the coalition from using its acronym NASA
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