South Africa – Copies of Supporting Documents Now Accepted by the Registrar of Patents
Traditionally, formal documents (i.e. Forms P.3/D.3, P.26 and assignments) for filing in support of patent and design applications had to be executed by way of an original/wet signature. However, the Registrar has recently issued a practice note setting out a number of changes in procedure including the Registrar ‘s discretion to accept assignment documents or invention disclosure agreements , executed electronically (like DocuSign) . There is no discretion provided in so far as the execution of the other formal documents are concerned and we shall thus have to await further clarification in this regard.
There’s no smoke without combustibles
Following the adoption of the motion of desirability in June this year, the Portfolio Committee on Health commenced its section-by-section deliberations on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery...
September 09 2026
Respecting the Lens, Part 2: Why "I Didn't Know I Needed Permission" Is Not a Copyright Defence
Last year, in our article Respecting the Lens: Copyright Infringement and the Rights of Photographers in South Africa, we addressed a common misconception encountered in copyright enforcement matters:...
August 28 2026
The Trade Mark That Refused to Die: Deadwood or Zombie?
The Case of Altron Ltd v Tracker (Pty) Ltd Pretoria High Court, 2026 A trade mark unused for almost ten years might ordinarily be destined for removal. Yet in Altron v Tracker, residual reputation hel...
August 27 2026