“Atwoli Patents ‘Alaa’ – You Better Watch Your Words!”
The Central Trade Union Organization (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, has taken his love for the word “alaa” to a whole new level. He has secured exclusive rights to the famous phrase “alaa, alaa, alaa” until 2031. And anyone who uses it for commercial purposes without his permission is risking a trip to court.
“Alaa! The King of Words Reigns Supreme!”
The Kenya Intellectual Property Institute (KIPI) approved Atwoli’s application for the phrase back in 2021, and sources close to the COTU SG confirmed that permission is required for anyone looking to use the phrase commercially. The phrase, commonly used by DJs in their mixes, is now considered Atwoli’s exclusive property.
“Atwoli’s Alaa Empire Expands!”
Atwoli first uttered the popular phrase during an interview with Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange on the JKL show in May 2021. A few months later, in December, he declared his intention to pursue exclusive rights for the phrase. When asked about his decision and motive, Atwoli stated that his lawyers had advised him to patent the phrase, which he plans to use in various products, including a clothing line and sportswear products.
In his application, Atwoli argued that the phrase was a slogan attributed to him in the public domain and couldn’t be translated into English. He further asked anyone who objected to his application to contest it at the intellectual property regulator. According to the Intellectual Property Act, a patent owner has the right to obtain an injunction and claim damages from anyone using the copyrighted work without authorization.
So, all you DJs, advertisers, and anyone else who has been using “alaa” without permission, it’s time to think twice before uttering the word. Because Francis Atwoli is the king of “alaa,” and he’s got the patent to prove it!
