INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS RATIONALISATION ACT 107 OF 1996
[ASSENTED TO 12 NOVEMBER 1996] [DATE OF COMMENCEMENT: 1 JANUARY 1998]
(Afrikaans text signed by the President)
ACT
To provide for the integration of intellectual property rights subsisting in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda and Ciskei into the national system; to extend the South African intellectual property rights legislation throughout the Republic; to repeal certain other intellectual property laws; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
PART 1
INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONS (ss 1-3)
1. Scheme of Act
This Act is divided into seven parts which relate to the following matters, respectively:
Part 1 Introduction and definitions Part 2 General application Part 3 Patents Part 4 Registered designs Part 5 Trade marks Part 6 Copyright Part 7 General
2. Definitions
In this Act, unless the context otherwise indicates-
'Bophuthatswana' means the former Republic of Bophuthatswana as constituted on 26 April 1994;
'Bophuthatswana Act' in Part 3 means the Patents Act, 1952 (Act 37 of 1952), in Part 4 means the Designs Act, 1967 (Act 57 of 1967), in Part 5 means the Trade Marks Act, 1963 (Act 62 of 1963), and in Part 6 means the Copyright Act, 1965 (Act 63 of 1965), all as effective in Bophuthatswana, and 'Bophuthatswana Acts' means all those Acts, collectively;
'Ciskei' means the former Republic of Ciskei as constituted on 26 April 1994;
'Ciskei Act' in Part 6 means the Copyright Act, 1978 (Act 98 of 1978), as effective in Ciskei;
'Designs Office' means the designs office as contemplated in the Designs Act, 1993 (Act 195 of 1993);
'Patent Office' means the patent office as contemplated in the Patents Act, 1978 (Act 57 of 1978);
'Registrar of Designs' means the registrar of designs appointed in terms of the Designs Act, 1993 (Act 195 of 1993);
'Registrar of Patents' means the registrar of patents appointed in terms of the Patents Act, 1978 (Act 57 of 1978);
'Registrar of Trade Marks' means the registrar of trade marks appointed in terms of the Trade Marks Act, 1993 (Act 194 of 1993);
'Register of Designs' in Part 4 means the register of designs kept under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act or the Venda Act, as the case may be, and 'records' pertaining to those registers has a corresponding meaning;
'Register of Patents' in Part 3 means the register of patents kept under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act or the Venda Act, as the case may be, and 'records' pertaining to those registers has a corresponding meaning;
'Register of Trade Marks' in Part 5 means the register of trade marks kept under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act or the Venda Act, as the case may be, and 'records' pertaining to those registers has a corresponding meaning;
'Republic' means the Republic of South Africa as constituted on 27 April 1994;
'South African Act' in Part 3 means the Patents Act, 1978 (Act 57 of 1978), in Part 4 means the Designs Act, 1993 (Act 195 of 1993), in Part 5 means the Trade Marks Act, 1993 (Act 194 of 1993), and in Part 6 means the Copyright Act, 1978 (Act 98 of 1978), and 'South African Acts' means all those Acts, collectively;
'Territorial Acts' means the Bophuthatswana Acts, Ciskei Acts, Transkei Acts and Venda Acts collectively;
'Trade Marks Office' means the trade marks office contemplated in the Trade Marks Act, 1993 (Act 194 of 1993);
'Transkei' means the former Republic of Transkei as constituted on 26 April 1994;
'Transkei Act' in Part 3 means the Patents Act, 1952 (Act 37 of 1952), in Part 4 means the Designs Act, 1967 (Act 57 of 1967), in Part 5 means the Trade Marks Act, 1963 (Act 62 of 1963), and in Part 6 means the Copyright Act, 1965 (Act 63 of 1965), all as effective in Transkei, and 'Transkei Acts' means all those Acts, collectively;
'Venda' means the former Republic of Venda as constituted on 26 April 1994;
'Venda Act' in Part 3 means the Patents Act, 1978 (Act 57 of 1978), in Part 4 means the Designs Act, 1967 (Act 57 of 1967), in Part 5 means the Trade Marks Act, 1963 (Act 62 of 1963), and in Part 6 means the Copyright Act, 1978 (Act 98 of 1978), all as effective in Venda, and 'Venda Acts' means all those Acts, collectively.
3. Reference to Act
Reference to any Act referred to in this Act shall be deemed to include all amendments to that Act and all notices, directives, rules and regulations issued under that Act.
PART 2
GENERAL APPLICATION (s 4)
4. Application of South African Acts
Subject to the provisions of Parts 3, 4, 5 and 6 of this Act, the South African Acts shall apply throughout the Republic.
PART 3
PATENTS (ss 5-7)
5. Application of South African Patents Act
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the South African Act shall apply to all patents registered or deemed to be registered under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act and the Venda Act.
(2) Subject to subsection (5), the validity of a patent entered on the Register of Patents and the duration of such a patent shall be determined in accordance with the laws applying to the application for registration of that patent as at the date of that application.
(3) Subject to subsection (5), the repeal of the laws by section 16 does not affect any applications or proceedings commenced under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act or the Venda Act and any such applications or proceedings shall be continued with and concluded in accordance with the provisions of the respective laws as if such laws had not been repealed, provided that-
(a) the Registrar of Patents shall perform the functions and duties of the registrars appointed under those Acts; and
(b) any notice and other communication required to be inserted or published in a patent journal or other official publications may be inserted or published in the South African Patent Journal.
(4) A patent registered under the South African Act shall not apply to the geographical areas of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda for so long as and to the extent that a valid registered patent right for the same invention continues to subsist in any such geographical area, but shall extend to each such geographical area if and when such valid right no longer subsists.
(5) (a) A proprietor of a patent registered in Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda, respectively, may, within one year after the coming into force of this Act, notify the Registrar of Patents in writing that he or she wishes his or her patent right to extend to
the whole of the national territory of the Republic, subject to paragraph (b).
(b) Once such a notification has been made such patent right shall continue to apply only to the geographical areas of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda, as the case may be, for as long as and to the extent that a valid registered patent for the same invention subsists in terms of the South African Act, but, subject to paragraph (a), such patent right shall extend to the whole of the national territory if and when such right in terms of the South African Act does not exist.
(6) Any lawful use by any person of an invention commenced prior to 27 April 1994 in the geographical area of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda shall not become unlawful by virtue of this Act, provided that use is not extended outside the geographical area concerned.
6. Patent Registers and Records
The Registers of Patents and records shall be transferred to and kept in the office of the Registrar of Patents.
7. Identification of patents
All patents registered and all patent applications filed in terms of the Bophuthatswana Act, Transkei Act and Venda Act shall be identified by the suffixes '(BT)', '(TR)' and '(VE)', respectively.
PART 4
REGISTERED DESIGNS (ss 8-10)
8. Application of South African Designs Act
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the South African Act shall apply to designs registered or deemed to be registered under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act or the Venda Act.
(2) Subject to subsection (5), the validity of a design registration entered on the Register of Designs and the duration of such a design registration shall be determined in accordance with the laws applying to the application for registration of that design as at the date of that application.
(3) Subject to subsection (5), the repeal of the laws by section 16 does not affect any proceedings or applications commenced under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act or the Venda Act, and any such proceedings or applications shall be continued with and concluded as if the laws had not been repealed, provided that-
(a) the Registrar of Designs shall perform the functions and duties of the registrars appointed under those Acts; and
(b) any notice and other communication required to be inserted or published in a patent journal or other official publications shall be inserted or published in the South African Patent Journal.
(4) A design registered under the South African Act shall not apply to the geographical areas of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda for so long as and to the extent that a valid registered design right for the same design continues to subsist in any such geographical area, but shall extend to each such geographical area if and when such valid right no longer subsists.
(5) (a) A proprietor of a design registered in Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda, respectively, may, within one year after the coming into force of this Act, notify the Registrar of Designs in writing that he or she wishes his or her design right to extend to the whole of the national territory of the Republic, subject to paragraph (b).
(b) Once such a notification has been made such design right shall continue to apply only to the geographical areas of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda, as the case may be, for as long as and to the extent that a valid registered design for the same right subsists in terms of the South African Act, but, subject to paragraph (a), such design right shall extend to the whole of the national territory if and when such right in terms of the South African Act does not exist.
(6) Any lawful use by any person of a design commenced prior to 27 April 1994 in the geographical area of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda shall not become unlawful by virtue of this Act, provided that the use is not extended outside the geographical area concerned.
9. Design registers and records
The Registers of Designs and records shall be transferred to and kept in the office of the Registrar of Designs.
10. Identification of designs
All designs registered and all design applications filed in terms of the Bophuthatswana Act, Transkei Act and Venda Act shall be identified by the suffixes '(BT)', '(TR)' and '(VE)', respectively.
PART 5
TRADE MARKS (ss 11-14)
11. Application of South African Trade Marks Act
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the South African Act shall apply to all trade marks registered or deemed to be registered under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act and the Venda Act.
(2) Subject to subsection (5), the validity of the original entry of a trade mark on the Register of Trade Marks shall be determined in
accordance with the laws applying to the application for registration of that trade mark as at the date of that application.
(3) Subject to subsection (5), the repeal of laws by section 16 does not affect any applications or proceedings commenced under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act or the Venda Act and any such applications or proceedings shall be continued with and concluded in every respect as if those laws had not been repealed, provided that-
(a) the Registrar of Trade Marks shall carry out the functions and duties of the registrars appointed under those Acts; and
(b) any notices and other communications required to be inserted or published in a patent journal or other official publications may be inserted or published in the South African Patent Journal.
(4) A trade mark registered under the South African Act shall not apply to the geographical area of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda for so long as and to the extent that a valid registered trade mark right for the same trade mark continues to subsist in any such geographical area, but shall extend to each such geographical area if and when such valid right no longer subsists.
(5) (a) A proprietor of a trade mark registered in Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda, respectively, may, within one year after the coming into force of this Act, notify the Registrar of Trade Marks in writing that he or she wishes his or her trade mark to extend to the whole of the national territory of the Republic, subject to paragraph (b).
(b) Once such a notification has been made such a trade mark shall continue to apply only to the geographical areas of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda, as the case may be, for as long as and to the extent that a valid registered trade mark right for the same trade mark subsists in terms of the South African Act, but, subject to paragraph (a), such trade mark right shall extend to the whole of the national territory if and when such right in terms of the South African Act does not exist.
(6) Any lawful use by any person of a trade mark commenced prior to 27 April 1994 in the geographical area of Bophuthatswana, Transkei or Venda shall not become unlawful merely by virtue of this Act having been passed, provided that the use is not extended outside the geographical area concerned.
12. Trade mark registers and records
The Registers of Trade Marks and records shall be transferred to and kept in the office of the Registrar of Trade Marks.
13 Identification of trade marks
All trade marks registered and all trade mark applications filed in terms of the Bophuthatswana Act, Transkei Act and Venda Act shall be identified by the suffixes '(BT)', '(TR)' and '(VE)', respectively.
14. Reference to 'section 53 of the repealed Act' in section 70 (2) of the South African Act shall be deemed also to be a reference to section 53 of the Bophuthatswana Act, Transkei Act and Venda Act.
PART 6
COPYRIGHT (s 15)
15. Application of South African Copyright Act
(1) The South African Act shall apply to any work-
(a) made by-
(i) any individual who at a material time was a citizen of or was domiciled or resident in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei;
(ii) any juristic person which at a material time was organised or existing under the laws of Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei; or
(b) which-
(i) being a literary, musical or artistic work or a sound recording, was first published in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei;
(ii) being a broadcast, was made in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei;
(iii) being a programme-carrying signal, was emitted to a satellite from a place in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei;
(iv) being a cinematograph film, was first published or made in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei;
(v) being a published edition, was first published or made in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei;
(vi) being a computer program, was first published or made in Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda or Ciskei.
(2) Any reference to South Africa or the Republic in sections 3 and 4 of the South African Act shall be deemed also to be a reference to Bophuthatswana, Transkei, Venda and Ciskei.
(3) The repeal of laws by section 16 does not affect any proceedings commenced under the Bophuthatswana Act, the Transkei Act, the Venda Act or the Ciskei Act, and such proceedings shall be continued
with and concluded in every respect as if the laws had not been repealed.
PART 7
GENERAL (ss 16-18)
16. Repeal of Acts
The laws mentioned in the Schedule are hereby repealed.
17. Extension of terms
Any act required to be performed within a specified time in any of the Territorial Acts in respect of any proceedings relating to a patent, registered design or trade mark or in respect of any application therefor may be performed within that period of time or within six months calculated from the date on which this Act comes into operation, whichever is the later: Provided that these provisions shall not extend the due date for the payment of a renewal fee under any Territorial Act.
18. Short title and commencement
This Act shall be called the Intellectual Property Laws Rationalisation Act, 1996, and shall come into operation on a date fixed by the President by proclamation in the Gazette.
Schedule
Number and year of law Short title 1. Bophuthatswana
Act 37 of 1952 Patents Act, 1952 Act 62 of 1963 Trade Marks Act, 1963 Act 63 of 1965 Copyright Act, 1965 Act 57 of 1967 Designs Act, 1967
2. Transkei Act 37 of 1952 Patents Act, 1952 Act 62 of 1963 Trade Marks Act, 1963 Act 63 of 1965 Copyright Act, 1965 Act 57 of 1967 Designs Act, 1967
3. Venda Act 62 of 1963 Trade Marks Act, 1963 Act 57 of 1967 Designs Act, 1967 Act 57 of 1978 Patents Act, 1978 Act 98 of 1978 Copyright Act, 1978
4. Ciskei Act 98 of 1978 Copyright Act, 1978