The cost to prototype your idea depends on the prototype you wish to create. We can assist you to: conceptualise your idea; create a 3D CAD model of your product; create a functional prototype – whether 3D printed or made of sheet metal; generate photorealistic posters showcasing your product; create videos explaining your product; and … Read more
Sep 30th, 2020It is difficult to protect a Business Method using patents. The reason is that Business Methods are specifically excluded from being patented. But, this did not stop Discovery from trying to patent its Vitality concept, Life Insurance and Car Insurance offerings. What Discovery Vitality did was to file a South African provisional patent application for … Read more
Sep 24th, 2020Most people are under the impression that their trademark will be registered shortly after filing. Unfortunately, this is not the case and the typical timeline for an unopposed trademark is set out below. Filing Within 1-3 business days of filing your trademark, you will receive confirmation of filing from the Trademarks Office. This filing receipt … Read more
Sep 17th, 2020There are many ways to protect your food recipes – get a patent pending number to protect the unique combination of ingredients; protect the new cooking method; protect how the food is prepared (e.g. how meat is tenderised or how tuna is cut). The Iptica Patent Cookbook provides hundreds of examples of patents that protect … Read more
Sep 10th, 2020There is no such thing as a “Free Patent” – that’s one of the patent fallacies. The closest you will get to a Free Patent is to file a provisional patent online. This is available to most people, irrespective where you live – UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa … Online Patent Filing System The GlobalIPCo … Read more
Sep 3rd, 2020You can patent: a “new feature” you are adding to a product or board game; a “new step” in a business method or software App; and a “new formulation” or “new cooking method” for a food product, if they are not “obvious”. Can I get a Patent Pending Number if I have questions about inventiveness … Read more
Aug 27th, 2020Most people are able to “patent” their idea; and most should patent their idea; but the reason for patenting will definitely surprise you. Traditionally, inventors thought they should patent their ideas for “protection“, with the ultimate aim to take competitors to Court and sue them for patent infringement. But this is only one of the … Read more
Aug 20th, 2020Inventions can be protected by patents, designs and trademarks. To decide which form of protection is relevant, ask: Does my invention comprise: A new use of an existing thing In itself, this is not patentable. Spend time coming up with a “new feature” that makes the existing thing more suited to its new use, then … Read more
Aug 13th, 2020Calculate Manufacturing cost from Sales Price When designing your patented product for manufacture, think carefully about the price point you need to achieve. The target manufacturing cost will influence the: choice of material; manufacturing method; and channel to market. The maximum manufactured product cost depends on: the price that the end‐customer is prepared to pay, … Read more
Aug 6th, 2020There are three benefits to patenting your invention: Deterrence – this is simply done my marking your product “Patent Pending” or “Patented“; Marketing – when customers see “Patent Pending” stamped on your product, they know it’s “new” and “innovative”; and Protection – a provisional patent reserves your right to secure protection for your idea, but … Read more
Jul 31st, 2020Every product needs an animated video, whether as: an explanatory video for a website; a Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin ad; a market survey tool; or a crowd-funding campaign. Cost to produce an animated video for your product Ask around, the average cost to create an animated video is high – too expensive for most inventors. … Read more
Jul 25th, 2020These are the top South African patent law firms, according to number of South African provisional patents filed in 2019: Patent firm Provisional patents filed Firm 1 193 S&Z 143 Firm 3 92 Firm 4 68 Firm 5 61 Firm 6 51 Firm 7 37 Firm 8 33 Firm 9 31 Firm 10 21 Firm … Read more
Jul 22nd, 2020These are the top South African patent law firms, according to number of South African patents filed (inclusive of provisional, complete and national phase patents): Patent firm Patents filed Firm 1 2,206 Firm 2 2,088 Firm 3 765 Firm 4 542 Firm 5 489 S&Z 315 Firm 7 162 Firm 8 155 Firm 9 137 … Read more
Jul 22nd, 2020You can file patent, trademark and design applications with CIPC online. CIPC migrated to an electronic filing system a few years back, and all applications are now filed electronically. Applicants may create an account with CIPC and file directly. However, it is much simpler and safer to use CIPC online filing systems developed by GlobalIPCo … Read more
Jul 18th, 2020Generally, you cannot patent: An [existing product] made of [a new material] You can only patent something that is “new” and “inventive”. “Inventive” means that an expert in the field would not consider your substitution of material to be obvious. The best way to explain this is by way of example: Let’s assume that belt … Read more
Jul 11th, 2020