Browsing: Don MacRobert

The Economist recently commented on the US$12,5bn bid by Google to acquire Motorola Mobility, the search giant’s biggest-ever deal. The magazine noted that the attraction for Google is not principally Motorola’s 19 000 employees, or even its 11% share of the US

The patent wars in the technology industry are intensifying. Google’s proposed US$12,5bn acquisition of Motorola Mobility is regarded as a defensive move by the search giant to buy up a patent portfolio to protect itself from companies like Apple that are

Cell C can continue using its controversial new branding, which includes a design that resembles the copyright symbol. There’s even a “reasonable possibility” it will be successful in registering “Cell ©” as a trademark, despite the fact that various applications it made in December 2009 have been “provisionally declined” by the Registrar of Trademarks. These are the views of Don MacRobert, one of the country’s leading intellectual property and trademarks lawyers, who says the cellular operator can continue using the branding despite the registrar’s decision, which was handed down on 2 August, just two days before Cell C unveiled its new branding.

In my previous column for TechCentral, I mentioned how Anton Rupert used to register his trademarks — and do so on his own — even when his business empire was still a start-up. Rupert recognised the importance of protecting his trademarks. He ultimately made sure that the Remgro group spent

There are many different challenges and difficulties facing a start-up business, ranging from cash flows to marketing to protection. This column, the first in a series, deals with the importance of protecting one’s intellectual property (IP).