Once trade mark applications are filed, they are examined by the Registrar about eight to ten months from date of application.

Good progress has been made in South Africa to establish and provide for the adequate protection of traditional works over the past few years.

In order for a trade mark to be registrable it must be distinctive and capable of distinguishing one party's products from those of other parties operating in a similar field of trade.

In grappling with the question as to whether DNA is a patentable invention or a mere discovery, scientists and patent lawyers have been at loggerheads for years.

The owner of copyright in a work is by statute given the exclusive right to perform certain specified acts in respect of his or her work or to authorise others to do so and hence to prevent

The Copyright Act does not require registration in order to acquire copyright in respect of a particular work. Instead copyright subsists automatically once a work has been completed ...

This was the issue before the Supreme Court of Appeal in the matter between Dinnermates (Tvl) CC and Piquante Brands International & another 401/17) [2018] ZASCA 43 (28 March 2018).

The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) been busy at work in the last few months, having issued just under 100 published decisions since it first opened its doors in November 2018,...

Africa is one of the fastest growing economic regions in the world with countries with natural resources that supports industries such as mining, oil and gas, and agriculture...

If copyright could be compared to a continent, it would be Africa: exciting, diverse, multi-faceted, often misunderstood and far too expansive to cover in a few hundred words!

It has recently been reported that two IT entrepreneurs from Gugulethu have made an application for an interdict to prevent Nedbank from using, that is, infringing, their invention protected by South African patent number 2016/05259 entitled

In the matter between African Explosives Limited and Sasol Dyno Nobel (Proprietary) Limited the Commissioner of Patents was tasked to adjudicate whether two amendments of the claims of Sasol’s patent should be allowed, or set aside.

Section 2 of the South African Copyright Act 98 of 1978 (the "Act") states that computer programs are eligible for copyright protection in South Africa.

Firstly, what is a meme?

The Copyright Amendment Bill was first published in 2015 for public comment, and was predominantly met with a large amount of criticism.

Two recent decisions in New Zealand and the United States of America illustrate the importance of and recognition given to copyright in the music industry, and the need to ensure ...

At its iPhone 11 Pro unveiling, Apple showed off the new slow-motion selfies feature to the iPhone 11 models – or as Apple jokingly referred to them as "Slofies".

Somewhere in hangar in a Highveld town in South Africa dreams are being turned into reality. Jonker Sailplanes has its home in Potchefstroom...

On the 1st July 2020, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 4 of 2013 ("the Act") became effective. The Act requires all businesses which process personal information of both natural...