|
|
|
|
Patent Prosecution in South AfricaThe South African patents system is governed by the Patents Act, 1978 which affords protection to patents for inventions (including patents of addition). The absence of novelty vitiates a patent absolutely in South Africa and protection is refused obvious inventions. Unless a complete specification is filed in the first instance a priority date is established by an application accompanied by a provisional specification. Applicants deciding to pursue protection thereafter must file a fresh application accompanied by a complete specification within fifteen months of the date of filing of the provisional application claiming priority from that date. Examination is to form only and no examination on the merits takes place. The patent term is twenty years from the date of filing of the complete specification. A patent must be renewed every year from the fourth following the filing date.
TARIFFS:
PATENTSView required Documents
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| £ | Euro | US$ | |||
|
1) Filing Application
(excluding drafting or revision of specification)
|
|||||
| Accompanied by complete specification in the first instance, including normal prosecution and disbursements (if abstract, classification and priority document supplied) | 732.00 | 1084.00 | 1485.00 | ||
| Claiming each priority | 22.00 | 33.00 | 45.00 | ||
| Late filing of documents, from | 82.00 | 122.00 | 167.00 | ||
| Request for classification | 82.00 | 122.00 | 167.00 | ||
| Request to delay acceptance up to 18 months from filing | 78.00 | 116.00 | 159.00 | ||
|
2) Recording Assignment, Licence or Notice of Interest |
|||||
| One patent | 180.00 | 266.00 | 364.00 | ||
| Each additional patent included in the same instructions | 98.00 | 145.00 | 199.00 | ||
|
3) Renewals |
|||||
| 3.1 | Paying renewal fees on South African patent: | ||||
| 3.1.1 | 4th to 6th year, per year | 104.00 | 154.00 | 211.00 | |
| 3.1.2 | 7th to 8th year, per year | 101.00 | 150.00 | 206.00 | |
| 3.1.3 | 9th to 10th year, per year | 103.00 | 152.00 | 209.00 | |
| 3.1.4 | 11th to 12th year, per year | 105.00 | 156.00 | 214.00 | |
| 3.1.5 | 13th to 14th year, per year | 108.00 | 160.00 | 219.00 | |
| 3.1.5 | 15th to 16th year, per year | 110.00 | 163.00 | 224.00 | |
| 3.1.5 | 17th to 18th year, per year | 112.00 | 166.00 | 227.00 | |
| 3.1.6 | 19th to 20th year, per year | 116.00 | 172.00 | 236.00 | |
| 3.2 | Extension of time for paying renewal fees in South Africa: | ||||
| 3.2.1 | One month’s extension | 47.00 | 70.00 | 96.00 | |
| 3.2.2 | For each addition month up to a maximum of 6 moths ADD | 7,00 | 10,00 | 13,50 | |
|
4) Searches |
|||||
| 4.1 | Inspecting patent register in respect of: | ||||
| 4.1.1 | one patent or application | 66.00 | 97.00 | 133.00 | |
| 4.1.2 | each additional patent or application | 19.00 | 28.00 | 38.00 | |
| 4.2 | Name index search in respect of: | ||||
| 4.2.1 | the first name searched, from | 88.00 | 130.00 | 178.00 | |
| 4.2.2 | each additional name search at the same time, from | 41.00 | 61.00 | 84.00 | |
| Subject matter search costs are partly time based and partly dependent on disbursements such as computer on line costs | |||||
|
5) Drafting of documents, litigation ands consultations, |
|||||
| per hour, depending upon the seniority of the patent attorney, see 6.5 below. | |||||
|
6) General |
|||||
| 6.1 | Receiving, perusing and preparing any document (per folio) (depending on complexity, time taken, etc.) | 15 -30 | 22 - 44 | 30 - 60 | |
| 6.2 | Typing documents (per folio and where not included in 1 above) | 8.00 | 12.00 | 16.50 | |
| 6.3 | Translations from French or German (excluding typing) per 100 words, from | 13.00 | 19,00 | 26,00 | |
| 6.4 | Photocopies (per page) | 0.70 | 1.00 | 1.40 | |
| 6.5 | Professional time charge (per hour) | ||||
| 6.5.1 | qualified practitioner | 159.00 | 235.00 | 322.00 | |
| 6.5.2 | practitioner qualified for 10 years or more | 259.00 | 384.00 | 526.00 | |
|
Intellectual
Property Services in South Africa Patent
Prosecution |
|
Intellectual Property Services in the rest of Africa
|
