Specialist, full service international intellectual property law firm Spoor & Fisher has announced that it will continue its association as the “IP Partner” to the SA Innovation Summit. Now in its seventh edition, the summit hosted by the City of Cape Town will be held from the 16th to 18th September 2014 at the Cape Town Stadium.
 
The summit is a gathering of some of the country’s top innovative thinkers who will discuss and debate the apt theme – Local Innovation, Global Conversation. The summit is expected to draw over a 1000 delegates amongst them prominent innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, policy makers and government officials.
 
Spoor & Fisher will use its broad experience to help shape the summit’s Intellectual Property agenda and contribute to the open dialogue between the innovator community and commerce. 
 
Long before the world started courting Africa; South Africa has been spearheading business and technological innovations. Elon Musk and before him Mark Shuttleworth have led local thinking in a global arena and are now considered “icons of innovation”. Young South African tech entrepreneur Vinny Lingham who has established himself as a leading thinker in the Silicon Valley recently sold his venture Gyft to payments giant First Data for over R500 million.
 
According to Lodewyk Cilliers, Partner, Spoor & Fisher, “Intellectual property, which underlines all innovations can transform an idea into a multi-million rand business, depending on how it is used. Today, an entrepreneur who understands intellectual property can thrive in the innovation economy.”
 
“The African economy in the coming decades will increasingly depend on innovation. 31% of Kenya’s GDP is spent through mobile phones – there cannot be a bigger endorsement for IP in technology and its role in developing an economy,” Cilliers adds.
 
One of the prizes Spoor & Fisher will sponsor is a trade mark registration. Registration provides the owner of the “trade mark” exclusive rights to the name, logo or slogan.  
 
Last year, Spoor & Fisher registered the trade mark for GoMetro, an app that delivers real-time train timetables and updates.
 
Justin Coetzee of GoMetro says, “For us, protecting our IP was the first step towards building a strong business and credibility. Spoor & Fisher has given GoMetro a sustainable competitive advantage.”
 
“We look forward to our continued association with the SA Innovation Summit. It is a great platform for us to share our insights on strategic IP issues faced by majority of innovators and entrepreneurs,” Cilliers concludes.