South Africa: time to elect IP
South Africa recently held its general national election and the
result was a win for the incumbent African National Congress (ANC)
party. The election was fought against a backdrop of massive
unemployment and a stagnant economy. During the course of the
election, there was considerable focus on the issue of property
rights and particularly, the possible expropriation of immovable
property, especially farms.
There’s little doubt that the government’s
priorities will include kick-starting the economy and tackling the
thorny issue of property rights. It would be a very good thing if
the government didn’t restrict itself to immovable property.
If the South African Government is indeed serious about stimulating
economic growth, it should also look closely at intellectual
property (“IP”).
