Licensing Executive Society South Africa (LES SA)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
UVU Africa
presents a hybrid event
LES SA and the WIPO Inventor Assist Program: IP protection and commercialisation support for inventors and small businesses
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Date: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Venue: UVU Africa, 2nd Floor, Brickfield Canvas, 35 Brickfield Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town
Time: 10:00 to 12:00 (SAST)
To attend in person please register by email to admin@licensing.co.za
To attend virtually register here: Meeting Registration – Zoom
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ABOUT THE SESSION:
LES South Africa (LES SA) and WIPO would like to invite you to a hybrid format discussion introducing the WIPO Inventor Assistance Program (IAP), which empowers inventors and small businesses to secure patent protection for their innovations. This session will explain how the program matches eligible applicants with volunteer patent professionals who provide free guidance through the application process. The discussion will cover how participants gain access to professional patent drafting and prosecution services both locally and internationally. We will also explore how the IAP levels the playing field for resource-limited inventors, helping transform promising ideas into protected commercial assets while increasing the chances of successfully securing patents at home and abroad. Additionally, best practices for IP commercialisation will be unpacked. Finally, we will watch a video from IAP beneficiary, Virendra Ramlakan, who participated in the program discussing his invention and experiences.
We look forward to engaging with you in this session.
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ABOUT THE PRESENTORS:
Allison Mages
Allison leads the IP Commercialization Section at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Drawing on her experience as both an intellectual property attorney for a Fortune 500 company and an inventor, her team empowers enterprises, innovators, and creators to maximize their potential through IP creation and commercialization. Her group also focuses on improving access to affordable finance through intellectual property. Allison has collaborated with over 50 countries to develop their legislative frameworks and support businesses through their creativity and ingenuity.
André Marè
André has 19 years+ of IP experience and spent time in boutique IP and corporate law firms, and as the lead counsel for IP in the largest multinational pharmaceutical company in the southern hemisphere. He has advised on the IP aspects of some of the most notable transactions on the African continent in the last few years with a particular focus on fintech, pharma (including bio-pharma), agriculture, telecommunications and retail. Andrè is formally qualified as a trade mark practitioner, and has significant experience in all IP fields and the unique interplay between the different types of IP rights in transactional matters.