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Business, Commerce and Management Studies › Marketing

Intellectual Property Categorisation for South Africa Training

SAQA US 252441 | NQF 5 | Credits 12 | Duration 9 Days
From $1,798 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the skills to categorise intellectual property (IP) information according to South African legislative and organisational requirements. Participants will learn to identify, classify, and manage IP assets such as patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets. The course ensures compliance with relevant laws and enhances the protection and commercialisation of IP.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply the principles of IP categorisation to organise patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets.
  • Analyze IP information against legal and organisational criteria to determine appropriate categories.
  • Evaluate the implications of incorrect IP categorisation on legal protection and business value.
  • Implement a categorisation system that aligns with South African IP legislation and industry best practices.
  • Demonstrate the ability to maintain and update IP records systematically.
  • Design a workflow for ongoing IP information management and categorisation.

Target Audience

This course is ideal for IP administrators, legal support staff, records managers, and anyone responsible for handling or organising intellectual property information within an organisation.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Intellectual Property and the Legal Framework

Objectives:
• Understand the concept of intellectual property and its importance in South Africa.
• Identify the main categories of IP: patents, trade marks, copyright, designs, and plant breeders' rights.
• Recognise the legal framework governing IP in South Africa, including the Constitution and relevant Acts.
• Distinguish between IP and other forms of property.
• Explain the rationale for IP protection.

Topics:
• Definition and types of intellectual property.
• Economic and social value of IP.
• Overview of South African IP law: Patents Act, Trade Marks Act, Copyright Act, Designs Act, Plant Breeders' Rights Act.
• International treaties and conventions (e.g., TRIPS, Paris Convention, Berne Convention).
• Role of IP in business and innovation.
• Key terminology: owner, inventor, creator, applicant, registrable vs. non-registrable.
• Introduction to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).

Day 2: Patents – Requirements, Types, and Procedure

Objectives:
• Define a patent and its purpose.
• Identify the requirements for patentability: novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability.
• Distinguish between provisional and complete patent applications.
• Outline the patent application process in South Africa.
• Understand patent duration, maintenance, and infringement basics.

Topics:
• What is a patent? Scope and exclusions.
• Novelty and the state of the art.
• Inventive step (non-obviousness).
• Industrial applicability.
• Types: standard patent, patent of addition, and reissue.
• Provisional vs. complete patent applications.
• Filing procedures with CIPC.
• Patent examination and acceptance.
• Term of protection (20 years) and renewal fees.
• Infringement: acts constituting infringement and defences.

Day 3: Trade Marks – Registration, Classification, and Protection

Objectives:
• Define a trade mark and its functions.
• Understand the requirements for registration: distinctiveness, use, and non-descriptiveness.
• Classify goods and services using the Nice Classification.
• Describe the trade mark application and registration process.
• Recognise grounds for refusal and opposition.

Topics:
• What is a trade mark? Types: word, device, shape, sound, smell, colour.
• Absolute grounds for refusal (e.g., devoid of distinctive character).
• Relative grounds for refusal (e.g., conflict with earlier marks).
• Classification of goods and services (Nice Classification).
• Application process: search, filing, examination, publication, opposition, registration.
• Duration and renewal (10-year terms).
• Infringement and passing off.
• Well-known trade marks and defensive registrations.
• Collective and certification marks.

Day 4: Copyright – Subsistence, Ownership, and Duration

Objectives:
• Understand what works are eligible for copyright protection.
• Distinguish between economic and moral rights.
• Identify the requirements for copyright subsistence: originality and material form.
• Determine ownership and duration of copyright.
• Recognise infringement and fair use exceptions.

Topics:
• Categories of works: literary, musical, artistic, cinematograph films, sound recordings, broadcasts, programme-carrying signals, published editions.
• Originality requirement.
• Idea-expression dichotomy.
• Economic rights: reproduction, distribution, public performance, adaptation.
• Moral rights: attribution and integrity.
• Ownership: author vs. employer vs. commissioner.
• Duration: generally 50 years after death or publication.
• Infringement: primary and secondary.
• Fair dealing exceptions (research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting).

Day 5: Designs – Aesthetic and Functional, Registration and Infringement

Objectives:
• Differentiate between aesthetic and functional designs.
• Understand the requirements for design registration: novelty and originality.
• Describe the design application and registration process.
• Identify the scope of protection and duration.
• Recognise infringement of registered designs.

Topics:
• Definition of a design: features of shape, configuration, pattern, or ornament.
• Aesthetic designs (eye appeal) vs. functional designs (utility).
• Requirements: new and original.
• Application process: filing, examination, registration.
• Duration: aesthetic 15 years, functional 10 years.
• Infringement: making, importing, using, or selling articles embodying the design.
• Defences: independent creation, prior use.
• Overlap with copyright and patents.

Day 6: Plant Breeders' Rights and Other IP Categories

Objectives:
• Understand the purpose and scope of plant breeders' rights.
• Identify the requirements for protection: novelty, distinctness, uniformity, stability.
• Outline the application and grant procedure.
• Recognise other IP categories: trade secrets, geographical indications, domain names.
• Compare plant breeders' rights with patents.

Topics:
• Plant Breeders' Rights Act: eligible plant varieties.
• Requirements: new, distinct, uniform, stable (DUS).
• Application process: filing, examination (including growing trials).
• Duration: 25 years for vines and trees, 20 years for others.
• Breeder's exemption and farm-saved seed.
• Trade secrets: protection via contract and common law.
• Geographical indications: definition and protection under the Merchandise Marks Act.
• Domain names: dispute resolution (ZADNA).
• Traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.

Day 7: IP Ownership, Commercialisation, and Licensing

Objectives:
• Determine IP ownership in different contexts (employment, commissioning, joint creation).
• Understand the basics of IP valuation and commercialisation.
• Describe licensing agreements: exclusive, non-exclusive, sole.
• Recognise key clauses in IP licences.
• Understand assignment and transfer of IP rights.

Topics:
• Ownership rules: employee inventions, commissioned works, joint ownership.
• IP audits and due diligence.
• Valuation methods: cost, market, income.
• Commercialisation strategies: licensing, assignment, joint ventures.
• Types of licences: exclusive, non-exclusive, sole, compulsory.
• Key licence clauses: scope, territory, duration, royalties, sub-licensing, termination.
• Technology transfer agreements.
• Registering licences and assignments with CIPC.

Day 8: Enforcement, Infringement, and Dispute Resolution

Objectives:
• Identify acts of IP infringement across categories.
• Understand civil remedies: interdicts, damages, delivery up.
• Recognise criminal offences in IP law.
• Describe alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Outline the role of the courts and specialised IP tribunals.

Topics:
• Civil infringement: elements and remedies.
• Anton Piller orders and interdicts.
• Damages and account of profits.
• Criminal sanctions: fines and imprisonment.
• Border measures: seizure of counterfeit goods.
• Alternative dispute resolution: arbitration and mediation.
• Role of the IP Tribunal (CIPC).
• Litigation in the High Court and IP-specific courts.
• Domain name dispute resolution (ZADNA).

Day 9: IP Strategy, Management, and Practical Integration

Objectives:
• Develop an IP strategy aligned with business goals.
• Manage an IP portfolio: maintenance, renewal, and audit.
• Integrate IP considerations into R&D and marketing.
• Understand the role of IP in innovation and competition.
• Apply categorisation skills to real-world scenarios.

Topics:
• IP strategy: offensive vs. defensive, freedom to operate.
• Portfolio management: filing, maintenance, pruning.
• IP audits and landscape analysis.
• IP and innovation management.
• IP in contracts: confidentiality, non-disclosure, material transfer.
• International IP protection: filing strategies (PCT, Madrid, Hague).
• Case studies: categorising IP in different industries.
• Emerging issues: AI-generated works, digital IP.
• Review and assessment of categorisation skills.

Practicals

24 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Practical sessions allow learners to apply IP categorisation concepts to real-world scenarios. Learners will work with sample patent applications, trade mark searches, copyright works, and design registrations to develop hands-on skills in identifying and classifying intellectual property.

Practical Activities
  • Practical 1: Patent and Trade Mark Searches — Learners conduct patent and trade mark searches using online databases (e.g., CIPC, WIPO) and classify results according to IP categories. (6h)
  • Practical 2: Copyright Work Classification — Learners review sample works (text, music, software, art) and determine copyright subsistence, ownership, and duration. (6h)
  • Practical 3: Design Registration Exercise — Learners examine product designs and complete a mock design registration application, distinguishing between aesthetic and functional designs. (6h)
  • Practical 4: IP Categorisation Case Studies — Learners analyse complex case studies (e.g., a new smartphone, a pharmaceutical compound, a brand logo) and categorise all IP elements, recommend protection strategies, and identify potential infringements. (6h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total — 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Fri 02 Oct 2026 Wed 14 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Thu 22 Oct 2026 Tue 03 Nov 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Thu 10 Dec 2026 Tue 22 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Wed 13 Jan 2027 Mon 25 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Tue 16 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Thu 11 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 12 Mar 2027 Wed 24 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 18 Mar 2027 Tue 30 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Wed 09 Jun 2027 Mon 21 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Tue 29 Jun 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Mon 19 Jul 2027 Thu 29 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 10 Sep 2027 Wed 22 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 30 Sep 2027 Tue 12 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Wed 20 Oct 2027 Mon 01 Nov 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 09 Dec 2027 Tue 21 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
Wed 29 Dec 2027 Mon 10 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
Tue 18 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 493 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Fri 07 Aug 2026 Wed 19 Aug 2026 Mauritius Winter 2026 $5,211 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 20 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $6,615 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,700 Register
Wed 12 Aug 2026 Mon 24 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $6,615 Register
Thu 13 Aug 2026 Tue 25 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $4,293 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 15 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Thu 15 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Fri 30 Oct 2026 Wed 11 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Fri 18 Dec 2026 Wed 30 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Thu 21 Jan 2027 Tue 02 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Wed 24 Feb 2027 Mon 08 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Thu 25 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 26 Mar 2027 Wed 07 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 17 Jun 2027 Tue 29 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 07 Jul 2027 Mon 19 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 27 Jul 2027 Fri 06 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Thu 23 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 08 Oct 2027 Wed 20 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 28 Oct 2027 Tue 09 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 17 Dec 2027 Wed 29 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 06 Jan 2028 Tue 18 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 26 Jan 2028 Mon 07 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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