Quitting your full-time employment to start your own business is very stressful. When I decided in 1997 to strike out on my own, I was financially strapped and the only solution I saw was to take a leap of faith in myself and go freelance. It was the best and the worst decision of my … Continue reading 10 Questions to Ask Before Quitting Your Job to Start a Business
Tag: Intellectual property explained
A certification mark is any word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination thereof owned by one party who certifies the goods and services of others when they meet certain standards. The owner of the mark exercises control over the use of the mark; however, because the sole purpose of a certification mark is to … Continue reading Certification and prohibited trademarks
So, you had an oops? Forgot to pay your annual returns two years in a row? The Commission thought you were inactive as an entity for seven years? You requested deregistration but changed your mind? Not to worry! You may reinstate or restore your deregistered company or close corporation...you also need to be very brave. … Continue reading Restoration of a deregistered company or CC
Jeepers creepers, have you EVER tried to read through say, the Companies Act, and not go cross-eyed? Then you are the better man / woman / person. Regardless, the law is the law and to survive unscathed in the land of intellectual property, one needs to have a nodding acquaintance with the laws that govern … Continue reading More than a mouthful: the law of IP
Fom CIPC: An annual return is a summary of the most relevant information pertaining to a company and close corporation. By lodging annual returns companies and close corporations ensure that the CIPC is in possession of the latest information. It also confirms that the company and close corporation is still in business or will be … Continue reading Companies – annual returns are very important
We dealt briefly with copyright here. CIPC elaborates some more: A copyright is an exclusive right granted by law for a limited period to an author, designer, etc. for his/her original work. Works eligible for copyright protection The Copyright Act protects certain classes or categories of works. The following works are eligible for copyright in … Continue reading The life-cycle of copyright
Brand Finance South Africa measured the financial value (R) of different brands and published a list of 50 of the most valuable brands of 2012 in South Africa. These companies operate both within and outside the borders of the country. See full article by Moneyweb here. Below you can find an abbreviated list of the … Continue reading South Africa’s 50 most valuable brands of 2012
The registration of a trademark is a long, laborious process but a really necessary one - remember, this is one of the building blocks of your brand! Having a strong, registered trademark is akin to having Chuck Norris as your buddy. No-one is going to mess with you and if they try, well we all … Continue reading The life-cycle of a trademark
Before you accept that nomination as director to a company, you need to ensure that you are well aware of the obligations and duties of a director, as well as the legalities surrounding i.e. the process of resignation, removal or appointment. The new Companies Act, 71 of 2008 is quite a mouthful, but in particular: … Continue reading So you want to be a director of a company…?
"Oh, searching to find out if your trademark is available is easy! Anyone can do it. In fact, I will do it myself! And I will save all that money I should have spent on an expert searcher! Heehah!". Pardon the over-usage of exclamation marks as well as the knowing smirk on my face... Searching … Continue reading Searching for trademarks
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