Patent attorneys in South Africa are eagerly awaiting amendments to the Patent Act, which is expected to include one crucial new feature: examination. South Africa is currently a non-examining jurisdiction, but with a draft bill in the works, practitioners anticipate substantive examination to be implemented soon. Aside from potential legislative...

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Patent attorneys in South Africa are eagerly awaiting amendments to the Patent Act, which is expected to include one crucial new feature: examination. South Africa is currently a non-examining jurisdiction, but with a draft bill in the works, practitioners anticipate substantive examination to be implemented soon. Aside from potential legislative changes, another hot topic in the country is artificial intelligence (AI), as the government recently approved the world’s first patent with an AI system – DABUS – named as the inventor. A majority of South Africa’s patent practitioners have welcomed the move, as they feel it will support the government’s wider aim of increasing innovation in thecountry.

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