A registered design protects the appearance of an article, unlike a patent...
Welcome to the Smit & Van Wyk blog, where you’ll find a wealth of expert insights and practical information on trademarks, patents, and copyright. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, inventor, or creative professional, our articles are here to help you navigate the world of intellectual property with clarity and confidence.
International Trademark Search
International Trademark Search websites for Europe, U.S, Australia, ARIPO,...
Registered Trademark Symbol
® and ™ are the two symbols commonly used to indicate trademarks. ® is used as...
Patent Litigation
When a patent is infringed, the patentee has various options to consider...
Madrid System
The Madrid system is the primary international system for facilitating the...
Trademark Applications
Trademark Applications represent marks which distinguishes your goods or...
Public Domain Works
Public domain works refers to intellectual property that is not owned by...
Industrial Designs
What is industrial design? An industrial design is the ornamental or aesthetic...
The Trademark Symbol ™ ®
Trade Mark™ (Not registered) The trademark symbol for unregistered...
Copyright Applications
It is not necessary to formally submit copyright applications in order to...
How to protect your Copyright
Copyright attorneys will tell you that copyright in South Africa, as in...
Patented
What is Patented? There are several categories of Intellectual Property in...
Copyright Attorneys
Smit & Van Wyk is an intellectual property law firm located in South...
Register a Patent
To register a patent in South Africa is a two-step process, with the two...
Patent Exploitation
A patent grants exclusive rights to an inventor for a fixed period of time in...
Design protection in South Africa
Design protection in South Africa is awarded based on the article...
Patent an Invention
How to Patent an Invention In order to patent an invention it has to...
Registered Design Renewals
Registered designs (South Africa) must be renewed within the...
Application for Design Registration
Applications for design registrations are filed at the Companies and...
Trademark a Company Name
Do not mistake the registration of a company with that of registering a...
How to Register a Trade Mark
Register a trade mark that uniquely identifies and distinguishes the...
Patent Duration
Patent duration in South Africa has a duration of 20 years from date of filing...
Copyright Protection in South Arica
Copyright is just one of the four divisions that fall under the general...
Filing a Patent
To file a patent for an invention in South AfricaRequirements for the...
What is a Patent?
So what is a Patent and why is it so important? A patent is the sole right...
Trademark Registration
Trademark registration is done to ensure that the products for which...
Copyright Films in South Africa
It is possible to copyright films in South Africa under the Copyright Act of...
Aesthetic vs Functional Designs
The difference between aesthetic and functional designs are briefly explained...
Patent Search
The rights of a patent may only be conferred on the inventor if the invention...
Trademark Attorneys Qualification
The Trademark Attorneys qualification is a statutory qualification under...
Patent Attorneys Qualification
The Patent Attorneys qualification is a statutory qualification under control...
How to Copyright Films
What is Copyright? A copyright is an exclusive right granted to an author of...
Domain Name Disputes
Domain name disputes occur when someone registers a domain name similar...
Copyright Photographs
Copyright does NOT need to be registered in South Africa. It is not possible...
Recipe Patents in South Africa
Is it possible to Patent food recipes in South Africa? According to the...
Omskrywing van ‘n Patent
‘n Patent behels die toekenning van regte deur ‘n regering aan ‘n uitvinder of...
Handelsmerke
Handelsmerke is nie die vrug van die hedendaagse samelewing nie. Dit het...
The way in which Patents are granted to change
The Department of Trade and Industry is to go ahead with a controversial...
When Trademarks overlap with other IP rights
Trademarks overlap with other IP rights everywhere - whether registration,...
Copyright Infringement: File-sharing Online
In December 2013 one of the first arrests were made in South Africa for...
Scott Summit’s breathtaking Prosthetic designs
Industrial designer Scott Summit founded Bespoke Innovations in 2010 in...
Rooibos Trade Mark Dispute
Once again South Africa finds itself in a dispute over the Rooibos...
Patent Trolls
What are Patent Trolls? Patent trolls are people or companies that own patents...
Franchise Attorneys
Franchise attorneys deal with all legal aspects between franchisors and...
Polo Trademarks
Ralph Lauren Polo and South African Polo are two different...
Non-conventional Trademarks
A non-conventional or nontraditional trademark is a type of trademark which...
Trademark Registration in Africa
Our trademark department consists of a team of skilled and...
Registered Designs
A registered design protects the appearance of art, unlike a patent...
Patent Requirements in South Africa
Patent requirements in South Africa include novelty, inventive and useful....
Trade Mark Dilution
Italian fashion company Dolce & Gabbana is accusing a South African...
PCT Patents South Africa
Smit & Van Wyk Intellectual Property law firm specialises in PCT patents...
Concept Design
Concept design is a form of illustration where the main goal is to present a...
The International Design Alliance – IDA
The IDA (International Design Alliance) is a venture between the international...
Stem Cell Patents
Embryonic Stem Cell Patents:The ECJ (European Court of Justice) has announced...
How to File a Patent in South Africa
Step-by-step guide on how to file a Patent in South Africa. Always keep...
How to Apply for a Patent?
First and foremost, KEEP THE INVENTION SECRET and do not market, or sell it...
How to Register Copyright
It is not possible to register copyright in South Africa. Copyright is...
How to protect my Invention
How to protect my Invention? Remember to keep your invention a secret until...
How to Copyright Music
Copyright protects original musical works. Unlike patents, trademarks...
Trademark a Logo
A company logo / product logo / service logo which is used in trade to...