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
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

2.

Introduction and definitions
General application
Patents
Registered designs
Trade marks
Copyright
General

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);

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