World Design Impact Prize

January 23, 2012
Registered Designs

The World Design Impact Prize recognise, empower and stimulate socially responsible design projects and initiatives from around the world.

Presented by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, the World Design Impact Prize will honour and reward exceptional industrial design driven projects that are making a positive impact on the quality of life.

The World Design Impact Prize creates an exciting opportunity for members and the general public to play an active role in recognising and honouring projects that create a better world through design.

Finalists for The World Design Impact Prize:

Bahikhaata (India)
A financial literacy tool for the empowerment of women, to be used by NGOs in India. The accent is on teaching micro financing to groups with limited literacy skills.

Chulha (India)
The Chulha stove was designed to replace the traditional stoves that were contributing to respiratory diseases, especially in rural India.

Community Cooker (Kenya)
The community cooker is a combination of stoves and ovens for use by many people at once, fueled by waste paper.

Innovation Center (Chile)
This social innovation lab has generated instances of co-creation between people in vulnerable communities, the academic world, and private and public sectors in order to create models for the elimination of poverty and other global threats.

Jaipur Prosthetics (India)
The Jaipur prosthetic feet, knees and limbs, have help re-mobilise thousands of amputees all over the world and rehabilitated these individuals economically and socially.

N200 (Haiti)
The Nokero N200 solar light bulb is an all-in-one photovoltaic LED lighting system that is sleek, portable, and affordable. It is a safe, energy and cost efficient replacement for Kerosene lamps.

Size China (Hong Kong)
Helmets and other headgear have been designed based on the head size and shape of those in the western hemisphere. SizeChina has created the first 3D digital database of Chinese head and face shapes to help manufacturers of headgear.

The first recipient of the World Design Impact Prize will be announced at the World Design Capital International Design Gala on 2 February 2012 in Helsinki, Finland.

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The International Design Alliance – IDA

October 26, 2011
Registered Designs

The IDA (International Design Alliance) is a venture between the international organizations that represent design and aim to bring the benefits of design to world bodies, governments, business and society.

The International Design Alliance was created by founding partners ICSID and Icograda.

In 2008 the IDA also welcomed the International Federation of Interior Architects / Designers (IFI) to the alliance as a partner.

The International Design Alliance serve as the collective voice of design and stimulate innovation through multidisciplinary design collaboration.

The IDA promote the mutual interest of all design professions.

The International Design Alliance (IDA) is governed by the IDA Executive Committee, which consists of nine members.

The ISCID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) is a non-profit organisation that protects and promotes the interests of the profession of industrial design.

In October 2011 at the International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress in Taipei, the World Design Capital for 2014 title was awarded to Cape Town.
World Design Capital for 2014 << Read more

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Smit & Van Wyk registers the stackable cup

June 28, 2011
Clients, Patents, Registered Designs

Smit & Van Wyk, Inc. attorneys legally represented Mr Marc Cocci with the patent and registered design registrations of his unique invention, the stackable cup.

The stackable cup can now be seen at festivals, sports events, bars, restaurants, night clubs and canteens.

The registered design protects the shape and appearance of the stackable cup and the patent protects the working of the invention on which the stackable cup handle is based.

How does it work?

The stackable cup is a recyclable and washable plastic drinking cup which features a unique patented handle design that enables you to simultaneously carry as many drinks as you possibly can. The invention relates to a stackable drinking cup, as well as a stackable cup holder.

This means that the invention can be used to drink from a single cup or hold multiple filled cups that are stacked on top of each other to carry around.

What part is Patented?

The patent registration for the invention is focused on the unique design of the rigid handle which allows the cup to be stacked limitless. Cups are stacked in a circular motion from which only one handle is used to hold onto.

How to register your own Design or Invention?

Smit & Van Wyk attorneys services include the registration of patents, trademarks, copyrights and designs.

If you are interested in registering your own patent or design, follow the following steps:

• Keep the design or invention a secret. Do not market, or sell it until a patent application has been filed at the South African Patent Office.
• Contact Smit & Van Wyk attorneys to discuss protection for your invention or design.
• We will discuss the possibility of conducting cursory, fixed cost patent searches to provide you with background information of what has been patented before in your field.
• We shall, upon receipt of a deposit, prepare a patent specification for the invention.
• The patent specification will, upon completion, be forwarded to you for approval.

When you are satisfied that the patent specification is complete, we shall file a patent application containing the patent specification at the South African Patent Office in Pretoria.

Contact Details for Smit & Van Wyk attorneys

Tel:
(+27) 012 349 7800

E-mail:
enquiries@svw.co.za

Physical Address:
Block A Apex Corporate Park
Quintin Brand Street
Persequor Technopark
Meiring Naudé Avenue
Pretoria
Republic of South Africa

Or complete the following form:

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Trademarks

November 26, 2009
Attorneys, Trade Marks ™ ®

For most businesses, trademarks play a very important role, as it is the mark by which the public recognises their brand, product or service.

Without trademarks, it will be virtually impossible for consumers to identify various products on sight only, as this mark can be any name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, image, or a combination of these elements that distinguishes the product from other similar products.

As a business, the idea is to build a relationship with your consumers or customers, in order to create a sustainable market. It is thus very important to protect recognisable trademarks, as this is what notifies the public of the presence of your brand.

If anybody could freely use your trademark, they would be able to steal your market share, without the public necessarily realising it immediately.

Contact Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated, the specialists in intellectual property law, to find out more about the protection of trademarks.

Contact Details for Smit & Van Wyk

Tel:
+27 (0) 12 349 7800

Fax:
+27 (0) 86 619 0493

E-mail:
enquiries@svw.co.za

Physical Address / Courier
Block A Apex Corporate Park
Quintin Brand Street
Persequor Technopark
Meiring Naudé Avenue
Pretoria
0184
South Africa

Trademark Articles

Trademarks

Trademark Process

Trademark

Small Business Owners

Trademark Applications

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What is an Industrial Design?

August 24, 2009
Registered Designs

An industrial design is the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article. The design may consist of three-dimensional features, such as the shape or surface of an article, or of two-dimensional features, such as patterns, lines or color.

Industrial designs are applied to a wide variety of products of industry and handicraft: from technical and medical instruments to watches, jewelry, and other luxury items; from housewares and electrical appliances to vehicles and architectural structures; from textile designs to leisure goods.

To be protected under most national laws, an industrial design must appeal to the eye. This means that an industrial design is primarily of an aesthetic nature, and does not protect any technical features of the article to which it is applied.

Contact Details for Smit & Van Wyk

Tel:
+27 (0) 12 349 7800

Fax:
+27 (0) 86 619 0493

E-mail:
enquiries@svw.co.za

Physical Address / Courier
Block A Apex Corporate Park
Quintin Brand Street
Persequor Technopark
Meiring Naudé Avenue
Pretoria
0184
South Africa

Designs

1. Identical Designs & Dispute Resolution – Should a situation arise where a dispute needs to be settled about two identical designs
2. Concept Design Registration – Our Designs Act provides for aesthetic and functional designs to be registered. Should you thus have a concept design
3. Interaction Design – Interaction design and User-experience design facilitate interactions between people and their environment.
4. Industrial Designs – Industrial designs in South Africa can be filed as Functional Design or an Aesthetic Design, or both.
5. Registered Design – Registered designs in South Africa: A Registered design can be filed as Functional Design or an Aesthetic Design, or both.
6. Aesthetic Design – The features of an Aesthetic Design are judged solely by the eye and are not involved in the function of an article.
7. Functional Design – Functional Design applies to the pattern, shape, ornamentation or configuration and performance of an article

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