What is Cybersquatting?
A domain name is an address that directs people to your website, it enables users to locate your business on the internet. A domain name forms the foundation for a website and email address, for instance www.my-website.co.za and my.email@my-website.co.za. A trade mark on the other hand is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or […]
Traditional Knowledge; Our South African Heritage
The World Health Organization estimates that about 80% of the world’s population, predominantly in developing countries, use traditional forms of medicine1. They estimate that the percentage of the population that uses traditional medicine ranges from 90% in Burundi and Ethiopia, to 80% in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa, 70% in […]
Women’s Contributions Towards Innovation: The patentability of human DNA
South Africa has extensive laws governing the collection and use of human genetic material (see Table 1 below)3. However, we do not have case law to assist with the interpretation of these statutes. We have a few examples from international law, and we will look at the case of Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad […]
Women’s Contributions Towards Innovation
If I mention the name Henrietta Lacks, I am sure it will not ring a bell for many. However, it is because of Henrietta that we have the polio and COVID-19 vaccines1. While undergoing treatment, her cells were extracted from the biopsy of her tumor sample to be used in research, without her knowledge or […]
Netball and Intellectual Property Rights
On 21 July 2023, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture hosted an activation event for members of the media. This event took place exactly before the start of the first ever Netball World Cup on the African continent (Cape Town will be the host city). The aim of this event was to build hype […]
Mind the Gap
As we advance technologically and experience more and more enhancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the division of work between humans and machines is changing significantly1. With these changes comes the evolution of economic gender gaps which have to be monitored closely. AI is the key driver of changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution […]
“Bogus” Colleges and their illegal use of Intellectual Property Rights
The year is off to an exciting start and next week our matriculants will receive their examination results. During this time, matriculants are also looking for institutions where they can register to further their studies. This is also a time where a lot of “bogus” institutions start mushrooming, luring vulnerable students. The Department of Higher […]
The Origins of Some of Our Favourite Holiday Innovations
There are so many holiday mainstays that we see around the festive season from Christmas trees, tinsel, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and many more. This also includes fireworks during New Year’s celebrations. Have you ever wondered how these innovations became such prominent features in our holiday traditions? In today’s blog, we’ll be discussing the history […]
A Short Summary of Twitter Terms and Conditions
Last week we looked at the Terms and Conditions of Facebook. This week we look at the Terms and Conditions of Twitter. What personal information are you giving up to use this platform? Twitter Like Facebook, Twitter has a minimum user age of 13. When we tried to open an account using a birth date […]
What Happens With Your Data When You Sign Up For Online Services?
October was cyber security awareness month and we brought you information about how the law protects you from your information being shared illegally whether for advertisement purposes or for any other purpose. The key factor was that you must have provided your express permission to receive direct marketing calls or emails. However, do you read […]
