South African patent system

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The South African patent system is the system by which patents are granted in South Africa.

Contents

As is the case in many other countries, a patent provides legal protection for a new and industrially applicable invention. This invention, which constitutes either a product or process, has to be brought about as a result of an inventive step. Essentially, this new product or process has to represent a new way of doing things or has to provide a technical solution to a real-life industrial problem. An invention is only considered to be new and based on an inventive step if the same idea has not been expressed in writing, orally or practically, or in any other way, anywhere immediately prior to the priority date of the invention. [1]

South African Patent Act and CIPC

In terms of the South African Patent Act 57 of 1978, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is the custodian of all new patent applications that are filed within the Republic of South Africa. An individual can privately file a provisional patent application. However, only a patent attorney can file a non-provisional patent application and assist in drafting the patent specification; see Patent attorney: South Africa. It is essential that the content of the patent specification - referring to the definition and description of the invention - is clear, coherent, and concise so that the patent is assured the maximum protection. Protection is granted for twenty years from the filing date of the non-provisional patent application. [1]

Provisional and complete specification

If a South African inventor applies for a patent, the application is accompanied by a provisional or complete specification. A provisional specification is lodged at CIPC if the inventor is still testing or developing the product or process. The provisional specification affords temporary protection for 12 months, extendible locally for three months, and forms the basis for a complete patent application and foreign patent applications. Once the invention has been fully developed and tested, a fresh patent application, with complete specification, is filed. If the product or process has already been technically finalized from the start, only a complete specification is lodged.

The responsibility for ensuring that the application is valid resides with the applicant. South Africa is a non-examining country. This means that CIPC does not investigate the novelty or inventive merit of the invention - only the form of documentation is verified and not the substance of the product or process. For peace of mind, the inventor can make use of the services of a qualified patent attorney to investigate the existence of previous patent specifications that relate to the relevant invention. This procedure, although expensive, may negate possible future litigation procedures and unnecessary financial expenses. It is crucial that an international patent search should be conducted, especially if an inventor wants to commercialize a product or process in foreign countries. The same applies to a patentee, who wants to commercialize an invention and who does not want to infringe someone else’s patent. A search should then be conducted at the South African Patent Office. An online search system is currently available at http://patentsearch.cipc.co.za, though the range of searchable fields is somewhat limited compared to other national patent search systems, and, as of the present writing (26 July 2013), the document retrieval system only returns empty documents. Searches can also be carried out by hand at the Patent Office through a card-based system; however, electronic patent searches may be performed on a contract basis on proprietary systems such as the Electronic Patent Journal (EPJ).

Patentable invention

Section 25 of the South African Patent Act, Act 57 of 1978, specifies that a patentable invention includes new inventions in the fields of trade and industry or agriculture. However, this act excludes new discoveries; new scientific theories; new mathematical methods; new schemes, rules or methods for performing mental acts, playing games or doing business; new computer programs; and presentation of information. Even if an inventor’s product or process falls within the scope of the excluded categories, patent attorneys may be able to draft the patent specification in such a manner that the invention gets legal protection. [1] [ failed verification ]

Patent Cooperation Treaty

South Africa is a signatory of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). This means that South Africans are able to file both national and international applications. This is in line with the supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions within the context of globalisation. [1] [ failed verification ]

International inventive step requirements

South African criteria for the originality of an invention are analogous to those of most of the First World, e.g. Europe, the United States, Japan, and Australia. However, South Africa's inventive step requirements differ from some of these countries. Consequently, the International Search Report and the International Preliminary Examination Report should be consulted when examining a South African application. This will indicate whether the PCT International Specification as filed and as published should be amended when filing a South African application. Importantly, such a step lessens the possibility that a South African patent, which may be granted on the application, will be deemed invalid on the grounds of lack of inventive step.

Related Research Articles

Patent Type of legal protection for an invention

A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of years in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention. In most countries, patent rights fall under private law and the patent holder must sue someone infringing the patent in order to enforce their rights. In some industries patents are an essential form of competitive advantage; in others they are irrelevant.

Invention Novel device, material or technical process

An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. The invention process is a process within an overall engineering and product development process. It may be an improvement upon a machine or product or a new process for creating an object or a result. An invention that achieves a completely unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough. Such works are novel and not obvious to others skilled in the same field. An inventor may be taking a big step toward success or failure.

A software patent is a patent on a piece of software, such as a computer program, libraries, user interface, or algorithm.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international patent law treaty, concluded in 1970. It provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions in each of its contracting states. A patent application filed under the PCT is called an international application, or PCT application.

Patent infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Permission may typically be granted in the form of a license. The definition of patent infringement may vary by jurisdiction, but it typically includes using or selling the patented invention. In many countries, a use is required to be commercial to constitute patent infringement.

In patent, industrial design rights and trademark laws, a priority right or right of priority is a time-limited right, triggered by the first filing of an application for a patent, an industrial design or a trademark respectively. The priority right allows the claimant to file a subsequent application in another country for the same invention, design, or trademark effective as of the date of filing the first application. When filing the subsequent application, the applicant must claim the priority of the first application in order to make use of the right of priority. The right of priority belongs to the applicant or his successor in title.

Within the context of a national or multilateral body of law, an invention is patentable if it meets the relevant legal conditions to be granted a patent. By extension, patentability also refers to the substantive conditions that must be met for a patent to be held valid.

Industrial property is one of two subsets of intellectual property, it takes a range of forms, including patents for inventions, industrial designs, trademarks, service marks, layout-designs of integrated circuits, commercial names and designations, geographical indications and protection against unfair competition. In some cases, aspects of an intellectual creation, although present, are less clearly defined. The object of industrial property consists of signs conveying information, in particular to consumers, regarding products and services offered on the market. Protection is directed against unauthorized use of such signs that could mislead consumers, and against misleading practices in general.

Patent prosecution describes the interaction between applicants and their representatives, and a patent office with regard to a patent, or an application for a patent. Broadly, patent prosecution can be split into pre-grant prosecution, which involves arguing before, and sometimes negotiation with, a patent office for the grant of a patent, and post-grant prosecution, which involves issues such as post-grant amendment and opposition.

A utility model is a patent-like intellectual property right to protect inventions. This type of right is available in many countries but, notably, not in the United States, United Kingdom or Canada. Although a utility model is similar to a patent, it is generally cheaper to obtain and maintain, has a shorter term, shorter grant lag, and less stringent patentability requirements. In some countries, it is only available for inventions in certain fields of technology and/or only for products. Utility models can be described as second-class patents.

In patent law, an inventor is the person, or persons in United States patent law, who contribute to the claims of a patentable invention. In some patent law frameworks, however, such as in the European Patent Convention (EPC) and its case law, no explicit, accurate definition of who exactly is an inventor is provided. The definition may slightly vary from one European country to another. Inventorship is generally not considered to be a patentability criterion under European patent law.

Japanese patent law is based on the first-to-file principle and is mainly given force by the Patent Act of Japan. Article 2 defines an invention as "the highly advanced creation of technical ideas utilizing the law of nature".

A patent application is a request pending at a patent office for the grant of a patent for an invention described in the patent specification and a set of one or more claims stated in a formal document, including necessary official forms and related correspondence. It is the combination of the document and its processing within the administrative and legal framework of the patent office.

This is a list of legal terms relating to patents. A patent is not a right to practice or use the invention, but a territorial right to exclude others from commercially exploiting the invention, granted to an inventor or his successor in rights in exchange to a public disclosure of the invention.

The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks(CGPDTM) generally known as the Indian Patent Office, is an agency under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade which administers the Indian law of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.

<i>Aerotel Ltd v Telco Holdings Ltd</i>

Aerotel v Telco and Macrossan's Application is a judgment by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The judgment was passed down on 27 October 2006 and relates to two different appeals from decisions of the High Court. The first case involved GB 2171877 granted to Aerotel Ltd and their infringement action against Telco Holdings Ltd and others. The second case concerned GB application 2388937 filed by Neal Macrossan but refused by the UK Patent Office.

Canadian patent law

Canadian patent law is the legal system regulating the granting of patents for inventions within Canada, and the enforcement of these rights in Canada.

The history of United States patent law started even before the U.S. Constitution was adopted, with some state-specific patent laws. The history spans over more than three centuries.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to patents:

Republic Act No. 8293, otherwise known as The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines lays down the rules and regulations that grant, and enforce patents in the Philippines. Patents may be granted to technical solutions such as an inventions, machines, devices, processes, or an improvement of any of the foregoing. The technical solution must be novel, innovative, and industrially useful. In order for a technical solution to be granted a patent, the inventor must file an application to the Bureau of Patents, which will examine, and in some cases, grant its approval. The law is designed as to foster domestic creativity, to attract foreign investors, and to motivate inventors to release their products for public access.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office". 2003-08-06. Archived from the original on 2003-08-06. Retrieved 2020-09-07.