Claire Russell (left) from Adams & Adams consulting on Patent and Trademark issues to tenants at The Innovation Hub.

Top law firm, Adams & Adams is providing free consulting services at CSIR and at The Innovation Hub. These sessions are designed to support the efforts of researchers and Intellectual Property (IP) developers, as well as high-tech innovators and entrepreneurs.

A specific focus of this support is providing advice on the protection of IP, an area that is the key to success in virtually every knowledge intensive sector, particularly in the knowledge economy where the most valuable assets are often ideas and intangible concepts.

In terms of this partnership, Adams & Adams provides CSIR staff members and tenants at The Innovation Hub with legal advice and consultations without charge or obligation. To deliver this service, a partner of Adams & Adams is available for consultation at the CSIR Investment & Ventures Office every Monday and Friday, and at The Innovation Hub every Wednesday for four hours.

According to Colin MacKenzie, Adams & Adams partner in the patent department, the team offers a short preliminary consultation of up to 30 minutes at no charge. "We will field any enquiries in all fields of Intellectual Property. If we find that we are unable to respond to a particular enquiry - for example, because it is outside our field of technical speciality - we can refer it to one of our partners who practices in the field in question", he says.

One of the primary missions of SERA is to engage in academic and research activities that expand the frontiers of society's knowledge and to disseminate that knowledge to society. Implicit in this mission is the need to guarantee the protection of the knowledge that is produced. MacKenzie, who also holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, agrees that there are inherent benefits for participants in the SET and R&D environments in utilising this support.

"A great deal of money and effort goes in to producing new ideas and products. By making use of the service we provide, the researchers can at least investigate the possibility of obtaining protection for the idea or product and thereby maximising the return on investment which can be achieved."

CSIR and UP staff members can take advantage of this opportunity to obtain advice on protecting IP or sourcing a view on IP options by booking time with Adams & Adams via Annatjie Orsmond on (012) 349 0030

Adams & Adams is South Africa's leading law firm specialising in IP law and certain fields of general law. The firm is internationally known, and draws its large client base from around the globe. Areas of specialisation include trademarks, patents and general law, providing intellectual property law services and other legal services in certain specialist areas.

Their Patent Department renders a full range of legal services in a wide variety of technical fields such as biotechnology, chemical engineering, chemistry and pharmaceuticals, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, plastics and polymer technology, computer technology and civil engineering.

Adams & Adams' Intellectual Property law practice deals with all aspects of patents, trademarks, copyright, designs and unlawful competition - including related litigation. The firm also has expertise in the field of IP law contracts and agreements, including licences, franchises, assignments and collaboration agreements in the execution of intellectual property audits and due diligence investigations, and in the valuation of IP.

To view the latest duty roster for Adams & Adams consultations at CSIR and The Innovation Hub, click here.