In terms of the Patents Act, 1978 (as amended), the Trade Marks Act, 1993 (as amended), the Copyright Act, 1978 (as amended) and the Designs Act, 1993 (as amended), and the Rules governing procedure in the High Court and the Court of the Commissioner of Patents, various remedies may be ordered in proceedings instituted either by way of action or by way of application:
injunctions (interdicts): these can be awarded on an interim basis on application or finally (by way of application or action);
damages: all the Acts aforesaid make provision for the award of damages (the normal basis being the actual patrimonial loss suffered) or, in lieu of damages, the payment of a reasonable royalty which would have been payable by a licensee for the use of the intellectual property right concerned. The Copyright Act also contains provision for the award of punitive damages. These may only be recovered by way of action;
attorneys' fees and costs: these are invariably awarded, in terms of the Rules governing procedure of the Courts, to the successful litigant on a scale prescribed by tariff. In certain cases, to express its displeasure at the manner in which a litigant has conducted itself, the Court may award punitive legal costs on a higher scale;
the aforesaid Acts also make provision for delivery up of infringing material/goods;
none of the Acts referred to above exclusively sets out the remedies which may be awarded.
The Courts have inherent power to grant other or alternative relief, depending upon the circumstances of each matter.
