An Assessment of Intellectual Property Legislative Framework on Violations of Protected Goods

Infringement of intellectual property is a violation of protected rights. Intellectual property is an asset owned by businesses and forms part of a trade. In South Africa, the Constitution and other legislation guarantee ownership of property. The rights to ownership of protected property are affected when criminals misappropriate property. This abuse is evident when the protected property is divested from its lawful owners and sold at a profit to disadvantage the owners. This has the potential of devaluing protected property and contributes to the financial loss of the owners. The abuse ultimately discourages innovation and creativity in businesses. The government is responsible for protecting property rights; the positive spin-off is the taxes that benefit the country. Poor protection encourages free-riding behavior where unscrupulous criminals misuse the intellectual property for their benefit. This study assessed the effectiveness of various legislation that protects property interests. It further highlighted poor enforcement of the law.