South Africa’s tough economic climate is once again pushing businesses toward rescue or liquidation. Yet one of their most valuable assets – intellectual property (IP) – is routinely overlooked in both processes.
This is a theme we first explored in a 2020 article, “Business rescue and liquidation have consequences for intellectual property.” Six years on, the question is more pressing than ever. The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is seeing an increase in IP development, making it all the more important that businesses, practitioners and liquidators turn their minds to IP before it is too late.
First, the basics. Every business owns IP. The term is an umbrella covering two broad categories: registered…