When you embark on the inventing route, you may wonder about the laws pertaining to invention rights. Do copyright, patenting, trademark or designs fit the invention?
If the product you are inventing is applicable to commerce, industry or agriculture; is useful, original, and novel it can be patented unless it falls in one of the following categories:
- Work of art such as a picture, photo, drawing, painting, sculpture etc.
- Broadcast whether radio or television.
- Movie or video.
- Graphic or web design.
- Unique design according to function or aesthetic value.
- Software.
- Logo or brand name.
- Literary work.
The above categories fall under other intellectual property laws. One way to determine whether the item you are inventing can be patented is thus to look at its use.
It should also be noted that the item must be the product of your creative mind and not something that is already in use or has been documented, published or discussed with other parties before.
It is easier to get compensation for your invention in the form of goodwill or royalties according to a license agreement if you have applied for patent rights.
Once you have been assigned patent rights to an invention, you will be in a position to benefit economically from its development, marketing, and commercial usage.
Inventing an item is thus only the first step. The next step is to protect your rights to the invention by getting exclusion of usage and exploitation rights.
You can to this by following the patenting route. We specialize in obtaining patent rights in South Africa and international on behalf of inventors. Make use of our services to ensure that you can benefit from the use of your invention.
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