As a writer, you will want to retain the benefits of owning the copyright to...
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.
The Copyright process compared to other Intellectual Property
In general, any original work created by a qualified person is eligible for...
The difference between Plagiarism & Copyright Infringement
What is the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement? Many...
Design Rights Explained: Shapes, Patterns, and Configurations
Design rights refer to the intellectual property rights associated with...
When Protection Ends and the Public Domain Begins
Public domain works refers to intellectual property that is not owned by...
Could Machine-Generated Works Require a New IP Category?
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has raised fundamental...
Olympic Games Intellectual Property
The Olympic Games are a global celebration of athletic excellence and unity,...
Copyright Infringement in South Africa
What constitutes copyright infringement? Copyright infringement happens when...
South Africa Copyright
Copyright does NOT have to be registered in South Africa. Copyright in South...
Copyright Application and Registration in South Africa
In South Africa, any original work created by a qualified person is generally...
How to protect your Copyright
Copyright attorneys will tell you that copyright in South Africa, as in...
Copyright Attorneys
Smit & Van Wyk is an intellectual property law firm located in South...
Copyright Protection in South Arica
Copyright is just one of the four divisions that fall under the general...
Copyright Films in South Africa
It is possible to copyright films in South Africa under the Copyright Act of...
How to Copyright Films
What is Copyright? A copyright is an exclusive right granted to an author of...
Copyright Photographs
Copyright does NOT need to be registered in South Africa. It is not possible...
Copyright Infringement: File-sharing Online
In December 2013 one of the first arrests were made in South Africa for...
How to Register Copyright
It is not possible to register copyright in South Africa. Copyright is...
How to Copyright Music in South Africa
Copyright protects original musical works, literary works, artistic works, and...
Copyright Law in South Africa
Copyright Law in South Africa is governed by the Copyright Act of 1978 and its...
Copyright Protection Questions
Copyright registration is unnecessary for articles or work on the Internet...
Orphan Works
Orphan works cause a problem For Libraries & Museums. Orphan works are...
Database Copyright Protection
A database right is a type of intellectual property right which came into...
Moral Rights in Copyright
Moral rights refer to the rights under copyright law that protect the personal...
Related Rights in Copyright
Related rights as a term is used to describe rights in copyright not connected...
Understanding Authors’ Rights
The phrase of Authors’ Rights refers to copyright laws which protect the...
Copyright Myths Exposed
In many instances copyright infringement takes place simply because of...
Copying & Distribution of Materials
Few people understand the laws surrounding copying of copyright protected...
Copyright Infringement Questions
Some of the most common Copyright Infringement Questions are briefly answered...
Copyright as Property Right explained
Copyright is governed by a set of intellectual property laws. Just as patents,...
Compensation for digital works
An Alternative Compensation System is a proposal for an alternative means for...
Copyright on the content of Patents
Copyright on the content of patents is still new and legislation differs from...
Copyright Infringement of Software
Copyright infringement of software is often referred to in the slang way as...
Anti-Copyright Sentiments on the Increase
Anti-copyright groups exist all over the world. The term refers to opposition...
Does copyright on Typefaces exist?
Not all countries recognise copyright on typefaces. The typeface consists...
Digital freedom under the spotlight
In 2006, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), together with other...
Rights Management for Copyright
Digital Rights Management is a term that is used to describe the practice of...
Digital Watermarking Protection
Digital watermarking refers to the practice of embedding specific visible or...
Copyfraud
Copyfraud refers to the practice of lodging a false claim on copyright to...
Copynorms and the Ethical Dilemmas
Copynorms is a term used to describe the normal socially accepted standard...
Copyright on Religious works
Copyright on religious works has been a hot topic for discussion over the...
Copyright in Architecture
Copyright in architecture is often misunderstood, even among professionals in...
Education Copyright
Education copyright has come a long way from the days when instructors...
South African Copyright Law
The South African Copyright Law regulates all aspects of copyright in the...
Does Copyright protect website content?
Copyright law protects website content even if the work is not formally...
Copyright Violations in the Recording Industry
Copyright law exists to protect the creative work of artists, musicians,...
Music Piracy
Music piracy is now more prevalent than ever and with the ease of downloading...
Works that are NOT protected by Copyright Law
Copyright law although rather broad in the variety protected does not extend...
When Trade Secrets exist
When Trade Secrets exist the holder of the trade secret is nevertheless...