Know your rights as a consumer this Black Friday
Black Friday deals are upon us, and the festive shopping season is around the corner, therefore it is important that all businesses which market, distribute, manufacture, or sell goods and services in South Africa, comply with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA). Below are a few noteworthy regulations that one should be aware […]
Parallel Imports
Parallel importation can be defined as the act of importing and trading in genuine goods that are sold without the original manufacturer’s knowledge or consent. These goods are also referred to as “grey goods”. An example of how parallel importation typically takes place is when an individual travels to a foreign country, and purchases an […]
Clickwrap Agreements
Have you also done it? Briskly skimming through the terms and conditions or not bothering to read them at all before blindly clicking “I agree”. This is not uncommon, however, we put ourselves at risk by signing away various rights over what happens to our personal data; namely, how platforms collect, use, store and share […]
Cybersecurity: Whose Responsibility Is It?
The world has changed drastically in the past three years; with the COVID-19 pandemic speeding up the process. The number of people working from home has increased significantly, in fact, the ability to work remotely is now used by some companies as an incentive to attract talent.1 With remote work being at an all-time high, […]
Combating Data Breaches in South Africa
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems collect an unimaginable amount of data for the use of training algorithms and improving performance. This data also includes personal information (names, addresses, and financial information), and sensitive information (medical records and identification numbers).1 There are concerns regarding the collection and processing of this data and how it is used as […]
The AI Conundrum: AI and Cybersecurity
A lot of experts are talking about the Artificial Intelligence (AI) conundrum. Is it a blessing or a curse? AI is a blessing in that it makes certain jobs easier and more efficient. As an example, AI can increase productivity. An AI algorithm can predict and prevent catastrophic events like disease outbreaks and market crashes. […]
Gone Phishing
We would be remise if we highlighted cybersecurity awareness without delving deeper into phishing. We have all received notifications from our banks or even employers warning us against phishing attacks. What is phishing exactly? “Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a […]
X Marks the Spot… A Tale of Two Trade Marks
X Corp, formerly known as Twitter is being sued by a Florida based advertisement agency, X Social Media LLC for the violation of Florida common law due to “unfair competition and trademark service mark infringement”.1 X Social Media, filed a trade mark “X Social Media” on 17 January 2018 and it was officially registered on […]
The Metaverse and Intellectual Property Rights
The metaverse is considered to be the next evolution of the Internet, with the potential to unlock a completely new digital economy. But what is the metaverse? The metaverse is a virtual universe or virtual environment where people can interact, connect and engage in economic activities through self-assumed characters known as avatars. This virtual universe […]
Online Piracy
For years, online piracy has continued to plague intellectual property rights. The main sources of online piracy are the consumption of pirated TV content, the unlawful streaming and downloading of movies, music, publications and software1. A study conducted by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in 2022, found that in Europe, publications piracy was […]
