Over the past few months, we have seen videos being posted on social media of physical altercations, poor service delivery and racial slurs, but the victims of the videos and audible recordings are usually unaware that they are being recorded. The recordings are conducted without their permission and then shared. But is someone allowed to record you without being granted permission and the share those recordings?

Audio recording

Audio recording includes the recording of conversations conducted over the phone, recording someone speaking to a room full of people, and recording a direct conversation, without the other party’s permission. Recording without consent is against the law, unless

  • You are party to the communication;
  • You have written permission of one of the parties to the conversation;
  • The recording is in connection with the carrying on of business.

Direct video recording

This is the recording of a person with whom you are having a face-to-face conversation. The video taping of someone without their consent is permissible because you are party to the conversation, much like audio recordings. Recording an altercation between you and someone else, or recording an altercation at an airport is legal due to where the conversation is occurring – a public place.

Section 4 of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act 70 of 2002 (RICA) defines that a person is party to the conversation if they are in audible presence of the conversation. If you are in an altercation in a vicinity where other people can hear you, they are permitted to film because they are party to the altercation, therefore in direct communication with you.

Indirect video recording

Indirect communication is a much wider category, which includes data, speech and moving images. Skype conversations, although they appear to be face-to-face, are included as indirect communication because it is communication through an online telecommunications service. Thus, you would need to either be one of the parties in the engagement, or have been given consent from one of the parties to record the video/messages.

When is it illegal?

  • If the recording is through an interceptive method such as “bugging” or a “tapping” a device;
  • Hiding to spy on one of the parties for recording purposes, due to the parties being unaware of your presence;
  • When you are in no way party to the conversation. Being party to the conversation is if you are the sender, the recipient, or any person included in the communication.

Exception: RICA permits recordings carried out by law enforcement personnel in certain circumstances.



  • Kevin Illes, A. (2017). Legal implications of secret recording. [online] Moneyweb. Available at: [Accessed 15 Jun. 2017].
  • Writer, S. and Writer, S. (2017). When you can – and can’t – legally record someone in South Africa. [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 Jun. 2017].


Intellectual Property (IP) can exist in the form of an invention, brand, design or artistic creation. IP is an important asset in today’s knowledge economy and should be managed. However, it’s important to know that there are various types of IP protection available.

Types of IP protection

The Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission (CIPC) of South Africa administers the following IP domains in South Africa: trade marks, patents, designs and copyright.

Trade Marks

  • A trade mark identifies the goods or services of a trader as distinct from those of other traders.
  • The owner has the exclusive right to use, sell or license the trade mark.

Trade marks can include logos, words, letters, numbers, colours, a phrase, sound, scent, shape, picture, aspect of packaging or branding – or any combination of these. The name and slogan of a company, for example, can be trade marked.


  • A patent protects how an invention works or functions.

Patents include inventions, such as devices, products, processes, substances or a combination of known elements in any field of industry and agriculture, which are new or have industrial applications. A new way of enhancing people’s hearing, for example, could be patented.

Aesthetic designs & functional designs:

  • The visual appearance of a product is protected, but not the way it works.
  • Appearance that has a feature necessitated by its function.
  • The owner has the exclusive right to use, sell or license the registered design.

This category includes Industrial designs, which could include the shape of a car, for example.


  • Automatically protected.
  • The owner has the exclusive right to use, sell or license the copyright work

Copyright would include paintings, art, literature, music, film, broadcasts and computer programs. The moment the work has been created, it is automatically protected.


  • The Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission | CIPC





What if there was more than one person involved?


Who will protect my copyrighted work?


Has someone violated my copyright?



What is the duration of copyright?






Daar is mense wat op ‘n daaglikse basis ly onder emosionele en fisiese mishandeling, maar nie heeltemal seker is wat hulle kan doen om dit te voorkom nie. Daar is twee opsies beskikbaar. Daar kan óf aansoek gedoen word vir ‘n Beskermingsbevel, óf vir ‘n Teisteringsbevel. Baie mense weet egter nie wat die verskil tussen die twee is en watter bevel van toepassing op hulle situasie sou wees nie.

‘n Beskermingsbevel word beskryf as ‘n vorm van ‘n hofbevel wat vereis dat ‘n party sekere dade moet doen, of ophou om sekere dade te doen. Hierdie bevele vloei uit die hof se krag om billike remedies toe te staan in die situasies. Die volgende moet teenwoordig wees wanneer jy aansoek doen vir ‘n beskermingsbevel:

  • Daar moet ŉ patroon van geweld wees.
  • Dit moet ‘n tipe huishoudelike geweld wees soos:
  • Fisiese geweld
  • Seksuele geweld
  • Finansiële geweld
  • Emosionele/verbale geweld
  • Die geweld moet teen die persoon wat die aansoek bring, gerig wees.

‘n Beskermingsbevel word ingesluit in die Wet op Gesinsgeweld. Dit beteken dat die misbruik tussen twee persone moet wees wat in dieselfde huis woon, soos broer en suster, of ma en pa, ens. Sodra die aansoek vir ‘n Beskermingsbevel toegestaan is, word ‘n keerdatum uitgereik. Op die keerdatum kan die Applikant besluit om aansoek te doen dat die bevel verwyder word of dat die Hof dit ‘n finale bevel maak. Indien die bevel finaal gemaak word, is dit permanent bindend. Indien die Respondent die Beskermingsbevel oortree, kan hy/sy tot 5 jaar gevangenisstraf ontvang. As die Applikant onder valse voorwendsels vir ‘n Beskermingsbevel aansoek doen, kan die Applikant tot 2 jaar gevangenisstraf ontvang.

Die aansoek vir ‘n Beskermingsbevel is ‘n ex-parte aansoek, wat beteken dat die aansoek sonder die Respondent se teenwoordigheid in die Hof aangehoor kan word. Dit kan probleme veroorsaak in die geval waar die Respondent onskuldig is en nie die geleentheid kry om homself/haarself te verdedig nie.

As jy die slagoffer van beledigende of dreigende gedrag is deur iemand waarmee jy nie ‘n huishoudelike verhouding het nie, kan dit teistering wees. As jy geteister word, kan jy aansoek doen vir ‘n Teisteringsbevel. Die volgende is belangrike feite rakende Teisteringsbevele:

  • Geen patroon is nodig nie, en ‘n eerste oortreding kan voldoende wees vir die toestaan van ‘n Teisteringsbevel.
  • Geen verhouding word vereis nie, en dit kan teen iemand wees wat jy nie ken nie.
  • Geen geweld hoef teenwoordig te wees nie.
  • Teistering sluit in: agtervolg, boodskappe, ongewenste pakkette, briewe, sielkundige skade, liggaamlike leed, finansiële skade, ens.

As jy besluit om aansoek te doen vir ‘n Teisteringsbevel sonder dat jy weet teen wie dit is, kan die Hof ‘n polisiebeampte vra om die saak te ondersoek. Die aansoek vir ‘n Teisteringsbevel vind plaas in ‘n ope hof, wat beteken dat dit nie privaat is nie – dit kan soms veroorsaak dat slagoffers nie aansoek doen om hierdie bevel nie. Sodra ‘n Teisteringsbevel toegestaan is, is dit bindend vir 5 jaar. Indien die Applikant die bevel wil terugtrek, moet die Hof tevrede wees dat die omstandighede verander het. Verbreking van ‘n Teisteringsbevel kan tot 5 jaar gevangenisstraf lei, en dit is ook dieselfde straf wat opgelê kan word vir Applikante wat die aansoek onder valse voorwendsels bring.

Dit is belangrik om te weet dat daar oplossings beskikbaar is vir slagoffers van afbrekende verhoudings. Of dit nou emosionele, fisiese of finansiële mishandeling is deur iemand wat jy ken of agtervolging en teistering deur ‘n onbekende persoon, dit het tyd geword om standpunt in te neem teen mishandeling.











In this article we will deal with the manner in which to obtain a protection order, the possible reasons for obtaining such an order, and the consequences of disobeying the order.

A protection order is described as being a form of court order that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. These orders flow from the court&#39;s injunction power to grant equitable remedies, and can deal with the following:

  • That someone should not commit any act of domestic abuse.
  • That someone should pay you rent, mortgage, or other monies, such as child support.
  • That someone should hand over firearms or dangerous weapons to the police.

If you feel that you need to protect yourself by applying for a protection order, you must apply at a court which has jurisdiction over the area where you are residing. It is also important to first phone a court and make sure on which days you can apply for a protection order, since many courts only have certain days on which they deal with the application for protection orders, unless the protection order is a matter of urgency and you feel that your life might be at risk.

Before obtaining a final protection order, you need to apply for an interim protection order. To do this, you need to apply to the court. The interim order specifies the date on which the final order will be considered. Once the final order is made, it is permanent and can only be changed by making an application to do so at the court at which it was granted. Once an interim order is granted a copy of the order must be served on the Defendant by either the police or a sheriff of the court. The Defendant then has the opportunity to defend the matter on the return date and the Magistrate has the discretion to either make it a final protection order or not.

Requesting a protection order does not mean that you are laying a charge against your abuser. You do not need to lay a criminal charge in order to obtain a protection order. However, if you are a victim of a type of domestic abuse that is also a crime, you can apply for a protection order, lay a criminal charge, or both. Some examples of abuse that are also crimes include common assault, rape, incest, attempted murder and the abuse of animals.

If your abuser breaches or breaks the conditions of the protective order, he has committed a crime, being in contempt of court. This applies even if the breach is not an actual crime, such as controlling behaviour. If the breach itself involves a crime, such as assault, then the abuser can be charged with both contempt of court and assault. If your abuser, or the person that you have the protection order against, breaches the terms of the order you should phone the police as a matter of urgency. The police will then proceed to arrest him/her.

It is important to take note that as soon as a Magistrate grants an interim protection order, the docket number will be placed in your identity document to ensure that the police are aware of this, if matters turn for the worse. It is also important that you go back to court on the return date, because if you don’t, the Magistrate will remove the interim order and the matter will be struck off the roll.
