CIPC administers patents, trade marks and registered designs through its IP Online portal. Copyright generally arises automatically where the statutory requirements are met, while registered protection is central for trade marks, patents and designs.

A CIPC company-name reservation or registration does not give the same rights as a trade mark. Conduct clearance across the company register, trade-mark register, domains and marketplace before launch. File trade marks for the relevant goods and services early; CIPC explains that registration may be renewed every ten years. A multinational should coordinate local filings with its Madrid Protocol or wider portfolio strategy.

Patent and design filings are time-sensitive because public disclosure can destroy novelty. Product development, demonstrations, tenders and partner discussions should therefore be controlled before filing. Trade secrets require confidentiality, limited access and practical security rather than registration.

Employment, consultancy, software-development, distribution, franchise, research and licence contracts should deal expressly with background IP, ownership of deliverables and improvements, assignment, moral rights where relevant, source code, open-source software, permitted territory and field, quality control, sublicensing, infringement and termination. Payment alone should not be assumed to transfer ownership.

Record IP ownership and licences correctly during group reorganisations and acquisitions. Exchange control and tax may affect cross-border royalties, assignments and valuations. Where a business depends on a foreign parent’s brand or platform, put the licence in place before launch and align it with consumer, data and regulatory responsibilities.