IPStell

The official blog of the Chair of Intellectual Property

Waiver of IP Rights in the Eye of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on May 25, 2021

Waiver of IP Rights in the Eye of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dr Madelein Kleyn (Director Technolgy Transfer, Innovus and fellow of the Anton Mostert Chair of Intellectual Property Law) has written a piece contemplating whether it is possible to waive IP rights in view of the minimum requirements set by the TRIPS Agreement for the protection of IP Rights, in light of the patent waiver controversy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Read the full article here.   Follow Share on Tumblr

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Commentary: Draft Regulations to the Geoscience Act 100 of 1993

Posted on May 18, 2021

Commentary: Draft Regulations to the Geoscience Act 100 of 1993

Innovus, the Technology Transfer Office of Stellenbosch and the Stellenbosch University Department of Earth Science, and the Department of Geotechnical Engineering have submitted their commentary on the Draft Regulations to the Geoscience Act 100 of 1993, published for comment on 3 March 2021. These comments were compiled by Prof Alexander Kisters (Head of Department: Department of Earth Science), Prof Peter Day (Adjunct Professor: Geotechnical Engineering), Andre Pelser (Attorney at Roux De Villiers & Associates), and Dr Madelein Kleyn (Director Technolgy Transfer, Innovus and fellow of...

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Written submission: Proposed National Data and Cloud Policy

Posted on May 18, 2021

Written submission: Proposed National Data and Cloud Policy

Innovus, the Technology Transfer Office of Stellenbosch, has made a written submission to the proposed National Data and Cloud Policy in terms of the Electronic Communications Act 36 fo 2005. These comments were compiled by Andre Pelser (Attorney at Roux De Villiers & Associates), and Dr Madelein Kleyn (Director Technolgy Transfer, Innovus, and fellow of the Anton Mostert Chair of Intellectual Property Law). The full text of the written submission is available for download here. Download written submission   Follow Share on...

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Freedom to operate conundrum

Posted on Apr 21, 2021

Freedom to operate conundrum

Freedom to operate conundrum By Dr. Madelein Kleyn, Innovus, Stellenbosch University, South Africa         Abstract: Growing a patent portfolio by protecting the innovation derived from research and development investment is merely the beginning to the creation of value. Freedom to use, sell and otherwise exploit the invention is the challenge. This is so often misunderstood.   Introduction A patent grants a negative right to its owner, i.e.  the  right to exclude others from making, using, exercising, disposing, or offering to dispose of, or importing the invention as...

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Copyright Blind Spot

Posted on Apr 19, 2021

Copyright Blind Spot

INTRODUCTION Blind people are at a distinct disadvantage and face serious challenges when it comes to reading the written word. They need written text to be rendered in braille or in electronic form to permit a text-to-speech functionality with easy navigation across the text. Unfortunately, such adapted-for-disability-utility versions of written text are in short supply or are not always optimally operational. The international community, and more particularly the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has embraced this plight of the blind. WIPO has fathered the Marrakesh Treaty to...

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The virtual reality and hard data of successful university start-ups that may succeed…or not!

Posted on Jun 14, 2020

The virtual reality and hard data of successful university start-ups that may succeed…or not!

Dr Madelein Kleyn has written a piece for the June 2020 publication of the Les Nouvelles, the journal of the Licensing Executives Society International, on the challenges faced by start-up businesses and the risk management strategies to combat such challenges.

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