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.
Banjul Protocol Update 2020
On 15 May 2020, the Government of the Republic of Mozambique deposited its...
Uganda Trade Mark Regulations Amendments
“The Trademarks Act No.17, 2010 was recently amended by the Trademark...
Protecting Innovations, indirectly through AfCFTA
The African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA is a free trade area founded in...
Granting of a compulsory license for pharmaceuticals
In the event that an interested person discovers, through what ever means, a...
Legalisation of Private Use of Cannabis in South Africa
In September 2018, a landmark decision by the Constitutional Court in South...
Recent Increase in Trade Mark Filings in South Africa
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), South Africa...
2021 Client Choice Awards
Congratulations to Esmari Jonker on being named a 2021 Client Choice Award...
CIPC File Transfer Notice
Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) File Transfer Notice The...
Privacy rights in South Africa: Data And Cloud
Looking at privacy rights in South Africa with the arrival of the Fourth...
Patentability of Cannabis Varieties
Cannabis breeding involves the direct manipulation of cannabis species to...
Trademark Shapes
In order to trademark shapes your mark needs to consist of a three-dimensional...
Inventor Assistance Program
The recent COVID-19 pandemic did not only have socio-economic implications but...
Difference between a Domain Name and a Website
A domain name is essentially the address which directs users to a particular...
Non-disclosure Agreement and Loss of IP Rights
A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) can be used to avoid the “gentleman’s...
Startup Businesses, IP Rights
Why startup businesses need to consider registering their IP rights from the...
File Patent & Design Applications
Patent & design applications are not mutually exclusive, and there are...
South African Registered Designs
South African registered designs may be filed for the appearance of an...
Domain Names
Domain names, like trade marks, are assets to any business and it is thus...
South African Design
A South African Design may be protected in terms of the The South African...
Nigeria Plant Breeders’ Rights
Nigeria Plant Breeders’ Rights does not currently have a intellectual...
Validation of European patents in Morocco
The system for validating European patents in Morocco introduced under the...
Compulsory Licensing in Egypt
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has created a ministerial committee...
Lockdown Notification on Plant Breeders’ Rights
Delivery of application forms and seed This serves to notify all clients of...
Water Research Commission workshop
On 20 March 2019, Wessel van Wyk was privileged to present at a Water Research...
365 Ubuntu Climbs with the Renaissance Guy
The Renaissance Guy, Andrew Patterson, has a goal of hiking up Table Mountain,...
Congratulations to Jacques and Kim
Smit & Van Wyk would like to congratulations to Jacques and Kim - the...
First to Use
This means that the first person / entity that actually made use of the mark...
First to File
This means that the first person or entity that applies for a trade mark, will...
Trademark Registration in Malaysia
Malaysia’s intellectual property laws generally conform with...
Franchising Legal Advice
Specialist legal advice on franchising and franchise contracts...
Trademark Registration in the U.S
Trade mark rights in the United States are established through use, thus the...
Trademark Registration in India
Trademark Registration in India often feature in the news for the slow...
Trademarking
As an entrepreneur or business owner, trademarking your name and/or logo is...
How to Patent an Idea
Step-by-step guide on how to patent an idea. Qualified patent...
Know your IP
IP (Intellectual property) is considered an asset for any business....
Trade Mark Registrations and Information
Trade Mark registrations provides wide-ranging protection against infringement...
The Yimi™ personal information system
The Yimi™ personal information system provides secure sharing and...
ANC vs ADeC Logo
Since the African Democratic Change (ADeC) emerged as a new political...
Congratulations to Rogan and Kelsey
Smit & Van Wyk, Inc. proudly celebrate two of our candidate attorneys that...
The Rain Catcher
Presenting our clients’ patented invention, The Rain Catcher, which was...
Design Rights: Functionality and Scope of Protection
Wessel van Wyk and Kimberley Rose Smith contributed to the Design Rights:...
International Comparative Legal Guide to Franchise
Smit & Van Wyk contributed to the International Comparative Legal Guide...
.africa domain success
Trademark owners have shown great interest in the new .africa geographic Top...
Trademark Registration in China
China is a first to file country and whomever first files...
Franchise Operations Manual
What Is a Franchise operations manual? A franchise operations manual is the...
Trademark Colors
How to Trademark Colors in South Africa Is it possible to trademark colors?...
How to Patent Mobile Apps
Traditional Protection of Mobile Apps The source code, on-screen layout and...
Beskerm jou Idees: Patent Registrasie
Beskerm jou idees en uitvindings deur middel van ‘n patent registrasie....
INTA 2017 Barcelona
We are pleased to announce that the Smit & Van Wyk team will be attending...
The Peppadew Success Story
The Peppadew story started when Johan Steenkamp first discovered the sweet red...
UPC Announcements
UPC (Unified Patent Court)A single patent court covering 25 countries. January...
Law Society of the Northern Provinces
The Law Society of the Northern Provinces (LSNP) is the statutory body...
Lucasfilm Trademark Lawsuit
The Lucasfilm Trademark Lawsuit against New York Jedi and Lightsaber...
The Samsung Trademark
Samsung Electronics (styled as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational...
Franchising
Franchising: When the franchisor grants licensing rights to a...
Logo Trademark Registration
A logo may be registered as a trademark to prevent competitors from using it...
The Stapler Invention
A stapler is a device that joins pages by driving a metal staple through the...
How to File a Trademark
A registered trademark represents the mark...
Trademark Registration in South Africa
A trademark registration in South Africa is filed with the Companies and...
Registered Design vs Patent
A registered design protects the appearance of an article, unlike a patent...