Closure of patents office a heavy blow for innovation amid Covid-19 crisis

05 April 2020 - 18:30The closure of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission’s trademarks, designs, patents, and copyright offices during the lockdown raises further risk for the economy, a legal expert has said.

However, the CIPC announced on March 23 that its patents and designs, copyright and trademark divisions would be only available again on April 30 due to the lockdown. SA started a three-week nationwide lockdown on March 27 in a bid to contain the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Under the lockdown regulations, only essential service providers are permitted to operate.

She highlighted that since November 2019, when the first person was diagnosed with Covid-19, some inspiring technology has emerged to combat and assist with fighting the disease.

“It is safe to say that we are also likely to witness significant innovations in SA across all sectors. We are after all a nation which is recognised for its ability to adapt and innovate. It cannot be stressed enough how important it will be for the owners of these innovations to seek appropriate advice to protect their intellectual property and in particular ensure that they capitalise on this significant opportunity to commercialise their products,” Versfeld said.

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