South African Patent Act and CIPC
In terms of the South African Patent Act 57 of 1978, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is the custodian of all new patent applications that are filed within the Republic of South Africa. An individual can privately file a provisional patent application. However, only a patent attorney can file a non-provisional patent application and assist in drafting the patent specification; see Patent attorney: South Africa. It is essential that the content of the patent specification - referring to the definition and description of the invention - is clear, coherent and concise so that the patent is assured the maximum protection. Protection is granted for twenty years from the filing date of the non-provisional patent application.
Read more about this topic: South African Patent System
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