M-shwari hearing today
TELECOMS
By BiztechAfrica – Jan. 21, 2013, 10:02 a.m.
By Semaj Itosno, Nairobi, Kenya
The hearing of a dispute between Safaricom and Faulu Kenya over the M-shwari application begins in Nairobi today.
On December 25 2012, the High Court of Kenya had thrown out Faulu Kenya’s legal bid to stop the operations of M-Shwari pending the determination of its claim of intellectual property infringement by Safaricom Limited.
Safaricom has in the past said it believes Faulu’s suit was not filed in good faith.
Faulu Kenya, a microfinance institution, has accused Safaricom of infringing on its intellectual property rights.
In May 2012, Faulu Kenya and Airtel launched Kopa Chapaa, a mobile platform through which customers can apply for loans. Six months later, Safariocom unveiled M-shwari, a solution where subscriobers can save and apply for credit.
The bone of contention is that M-shwari and Kopa Chapaa are relatively similar.
