News – Patents
Regional Patent applications in Africa
ARIPO is for certain English-speaking African countries. The member countries are Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
South Africa is a member of the Patent Cooperation Treaty
South African nationals or residents are able to use the PCT filing procedure for international applications filed in South Africa or elsewhere.
Payment of South African renewal fee
In the light of this statement, an application was brought by the University of Pretoria, Adams & Adams and the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law in which the Registrar of Patents was the Respondent, in respect of the University of Pretoria’s Patent No. 94/0252 for a declaratory order effectively asking that it be ordered that an extension of time for late paying of renewal fees can be made in the six-month “grace” period after the normal due date.
Update on the new Swaziland Patents and Designs Act
On 10 June 1999, certain of our partners met with the Swaziland Registrar of Patents, who confirmed that the new Act to be implemented shortly is the one that was passed on 19 December 1997 (Act 6 of 1997) and which is very similar to the new Botswana Act in its original, unamended form.