South Africa: Patent

Mobile applications represent significant business investments comprising multiple forms of intellectual property, yet the underlying IP rights are frequently overlooked. Understanding how copyright, trade marks, design rights and patents interact in the mobile app context is essential to avoid ownership disputes, commercialisation restrictions and avoidable legal risk.

The African Organisation for Intellectual Property (OAPI) engaged in strategic discussions during the 2026 WIPO General Assemblies in Geneva, focusing on strengthening international cooperation and promoting innovation across member states. These high-level meetings culminated in the signing of a bilateral work plan with Morocco's industrial property office, marking a significant step in expanding IP-driven economic development partnerships across the Francophone African region.

Explore eight compelling intellectual property cases and developments, from a single patent generating $229 million in royalties to major brand disputes between 7-Eleven and Nike, pharmaceutical advertising battles...

Morocco's International University of Rabat (UIR) has officially become Africa's number‑one university for patent filings, marking a milestone for the continent's innovation...

At the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Addis Ababa this past February, heads of state adopted eight key Annexes to the AfCFTA Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), which was considered a transformative step towards a unified African innovation market.

Our latest IP updates take a look at the fast‑moving developments shaping patents, trade marks and innovation across sectors.

In the connected fitness world, the biggest rivalries aren't just on the leaderboard, they are increasingly playing out in the IP office and the courtroom.

South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL) has made a formal submission in response to the government's planned reforms of the Patents Act and Designs Act.

This year's Economics Nobel went to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt for explaining how innovation drives long-run growth and for showing, with unusual clarity, that progress works through creative destruction.