In the third episode of a three-part podcast series by Adams & Adams on doing business within the dynamic intellectual property world of Africa, the firm’s partner Wilhelm Prozesky and Adv Rory Voller, Commissioner of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), explore the latest trends surrounding patents in South Africa.
Adv Voller provides a status update on the CIPC’s move from a formal examination system towards a substantive search and examination (SSE) system for patent applications in South Africa, after a decade-long consultation. He discusses the progress of actions taken so far, looks ahead at the challenges of implementation, and explains how Adams & Adams has been involved in the transformation.
In a chat with Managing IP’s Rani Mehta, Prozesky and Adv Voller discuss the benefits for patentees once SSE has been implemented, while also considering the changes in assignment requirements and other notable procedural changes at the Patent Office that patentees and businesses need to be aware of.
Season 2, Episode 1: Oppositions based on well-known rights in Africa
Season 2, Episode 2: The mandatory recordation process of IP rights in Kenya
About Adams & Adams
Adams & Adams is an internationally recognised and leading African law firm that specialises in providing intellectual property, corporate and commercial services.
The firm is firmly rooted in Africa – with a tenacious belief in the economic growth potential and spirit of the continent. The head office in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, provides the perfect gateway through which its partners, supported by some 700 professionals and staff, render a broad range of legal services to clients in Africa and the rest of the world.
Through its associate offices and long-established networks, the firm serves a global client base throughout the African continent in matters of intellectual property, commercial law, property and litigation.
In 2021, experts from Adams & Adams co-produced a popular three-part podcast series on the IP enforcement of pharma in Africa.
You can find all the Managing IP podcasts here.
