What to do if you are a small business owner affected by the Covid-19 pandemic

These are unprecedented times – most business owners will feel the pinch, particularly those in the events, wedding, tourism, restaurant and entertainment industry. Holistically, be proactive with any legal obligations; and as hard as it may be, try to stay calm and focused on keeping your business afloat. Like any disaster or pandemic, it will pass. … Continue reading What to do if you are a small business owner affected by the Covid-19 pandemic

Hate Speech – an overview of the current legal position and discussion on the Old South African Flag case

The preamble to South Africa’s Constitution defines the nation as one that is united in diversity – it further sets out the basis for a non-racial democracy. Given South Africa’s traumatic and racist history, the new constitutional dispensation is based on values of freedom, equality, and dignity. The preamble reads in full as follows: We, the people … Continue reading Hate Speech – an overview of the current legal position and discussion on the Old South African Flag case

Electronic evidence – a necessity in almost every legal dispute

Independent Online reported this week that a child abuse case involving a Durban mother has been provisionally struck from the roll. The case cannot continue until evidence from the mobile phone which captured footage of the alleged events has been returned to the court from the SAPS cybercrime unit in Pretoria. This is a puzzling and … Continue reading Electronic evidence – a necessity in almost every legal dispute

What parents can learn from the Momo Challenge

Recently we saw a resurgence of the Momo Challenge in the news, after reports surfaced of a 5-year-old girl hacking off her hair, allegedly due to Momo telling her to do so through a clip on a kiddies YouTube video. Momo started off as an urban-legend, a challenge that involved kids messaging a number on … Continue reading What parents can learn from the Momo Challenge

New Cybercrime Law

After much debate and delay, South Africa’s new cybercrime laws are close to promulgation. Last week, on 7 November 2018, the Justice and Correctional Services committee approved the latest version of the legislation – now known as the Cybercrimes Bill B6B-2017. This is the third main version of the law, and its primary goal is to criminalise various … Continue reading New Cybercrime Law

Copyright: the basics for small business owners and app developers

I’m regularly asked by developers and small business owners – who owns the copyright in my new app? The answer, as with most legal questions is: ‘it depends’. South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal in 2008 noted that copyright cases relating to computer programs are notoriously difficult. In South Africa, copyright is regulated by the Copyright … Continue reading Copyright: the basics for small business owners and app developers