最新消息和见解
6 月 12, 2025
Anti-Counterfeiting and Sustainability: Our Innovative Initiative
To mark World Anti-Counterfeiting Month, we’re proud to share our involvement in a bold anti-counterfeiting and sustainability initiative, that redefines how seized counterfeit goods are destroyed, turning a liability into an opportunit...
6 月 9, 2025
Textbook Piracy: The Long Term Impact of Copying Textbooks
Despite legal prohibitions and the underlying unethical implications, the unauthorised reproduction and distribution of textbooks remains a widespread problem in South Africa. When students and educators participate in textbook piracy, they perpetuate a cycle that disrespects intellectual propert...
5 月 28, 2025
Music collecting societies: How does music licensing work in SA?
As a general rule, you need the permission of the owner of a copyrighted work to use that work. Relating this rule to music, use would include, for example, playing songs in public through a public address system or on the radio, performing them to an audience and using them in advertisements or ...
5 月 2, 2025
Amending South African Design Registrations: Can a Release Date Be Claimed Post-Grant?
Despite various laws governing design registrations across different countries, one common requirement is novelty. A design has to be new to meet the novelty requirement, meaning it must not have been disclosed to the public before the f...
4 月 15, 2025
From Ownership To Overreach: The Tribunal’s Check On Copyright Power
A copyright licence agreement is a prime example of two fundamental legal principles: (i) the exclusive rights afforded to a copyright owner - to reproduce, publish, adapt and perform other actions in relation to the copyright work; and (ii) sanctity of contract – the rule that agreements entered...
3 月 28, 2025
Rhode Blocked: A Pop-Up Pitfall at Mall of Africa
Hailey Bieber’s coveted beauty brand, RHODE, appeared to make a surprise pop-up at the Mall of Africa recently – but not in the way fans had hoped. What started as a beauty lover’s dream quickly turned into a makeup mishap when questions about the authenticity of the RHODE-branded products surfac...
3 月 27, 2025
Counterfeit Crackdown: Fake Pots Boiled Over in R1 Million Bust
In a major victory for brand protection and consumer safety, our anti-counterfeiting department played a central role in a recent bust that dismantled a counterfeit distribution network in Johannesburg. This successful raid, which resulted in the seizure of more than R1 million worth of Hart pot ...
3 月 17, 2025
Shake, Shake… Stop! The Battle Over Mageu’s Trade Dress
If you thought that mageu – a fermented, non-alcoholic, maize-based drink – was just a smooth and creamy refreshment, think again. A legal battle between RCL Foods and Berkley Foods, direct competitors in the mageu market, was anything but sweet, leaving a sour aftertaste instead.
3 月 6, 2025
Cracking the Code of Green Claims: Ensuring Truth and Transparency
Public concern over environmental issues has driven demand for products that minimise harm to, or positively affect, the environment. Consumers increasingly want to know the origins, composition, and environmental impact of their purchases. In response, the market has seen a surge in goods, servi...
2 月 17, 2025
IP & Iconic Landmarks: Who Owns the Skyline?
As first published on IPKat.
Italy recently celebrated the one-year mark until the start of the Winter 2026 Olympics in Cortina. As with any Olympics, IP (intellectual property) questions abound when...