Trade mark attorneys in South Africa: who files your mark and what it costs
A SAIIPL-certified attorney files and prosecutes every mark we take on. R2,990 per class, official fee included, with fixed fees for the steps that follow.
A South African trade mark attorney files your application at CIPC, answers the examiner and sees the mark through to registration and to renewal 10 years later. At BrandLaw that costs R2,990 per class, all in: our fee and CIPC’s R590 official fee together. There is no hourly billing for a filing, and a named attorney signs off every application.
Multiple attorneys act on our matters. All are certified by the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL), the professional body for trade mark practitioners, and all have worked at the highest rated IP firms before this one.
Who acts on your mark
Stephan Viollier
Trade mark, IP and commercial attorney
- Founder of BrandLaw and principal of Viollier IP Attorneys
- SAIIPL-certified trade mark practitioner
- Attorney admitted in South Africa and in New York, United States
- A decade acting for clients from start-ups to multinationals
- Software and AI background: he built the free register search on this site
Stephanie Zietsman
Trade mark and IP lawyer
- SAIIPL-certified trade mark practitioner, admitted in South Africa
- Previously at three of South Africa’s established IP firms
- Advertising background, which shows in how she reads a brand
BrandLaw is a trade mark service, not a law firm. The attorneys who act on our matters are part of Viollier IP Attorneys, a separate firm; they file and prosecute the work we take on, and act for both.
Attorney, filing service or do it yourself?
CIPC lets anyone file. The question is who deals with what comes after filing: the examiner’s report, the conditions, the three-month deadline that abandons the application if it is missed. That is where the three routes differ.
| Do it yourself at CIPC | Online filing service | BrandLaw | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who files | You | A clerk or a form | A SAIIPL-certified attorney |
| Search before filing | You | Usually none | Free register search, or a Focused Search and Opinion at R2,750 |
| Classes and wording | You decide | You decide | Drafted and checked by the attorney |
| Examiner’s report | You answer it | Extra, often not offered | Fixed fee: from R1,650 first class and R600 per additional |
| Address for service | Yours | Varies | Ours: CIPC writes to us, we diarise every deadline |
| Cost per class | R590 | R1,500 to R2,500 plus the official fee | R2,990 all in |
The DIY route is an option and we explain it honestly in the CIPC registration guide. It suits a distinctive name in one obvious class, filed by someone comfortable reading official correspondence. However, most self-filed applications fail or are easily removed and fail to stay registered over time, leading to potentially devastating costs to your business.
What we charge
Every routine step has a fixed price. The only hourly work is arguing against a provisional refusal, and we quote before starting it.
| Work | Fee |
|---|---|
| Trade mark application, per class, official fee included | R2,990 |
| Focused Search and Opinion (2 to 3 business days) | R2,750 |
| Comprehensive Search and Opinion (6 to 8 business days) | R5,500 |
| Marketplace search + Comprehensive Search and Opinion | R9,990 |
| Responding to an examiner’s report: first class / each additional | R1,650 / R600 |
| Entering a disclaimer, endorsement or association: first class / each additional | R900 / R350 |
| Arguing against a provisional refusal, per hour | R1,450 to R2,450 |
| Renewal: first mark or class / each additional | R2,700 / R1,900 |
| Recordal of a change of name, address or ownership, or a licence: first mark / each additional | R2,990 / R900 |
The full list, with what each step is for, is in the cost guide. In a straightforward case there is nothing beyond the R2,990: no examiner’s report, no conditions, no opposition means no further fees.
What happens after you instruct us
- Day 1 to 3: we confirm the classes and wording, you sign a power of attorney (no notarisation), and we file. CIPC issues an application number and filing date.
- Month 8 to 12: the examiner reports. The mark is accepted, accepted with conditions or provisionally refused. We tell you what it means and what, if anything, it costs.
- Within 3 months of the report: we respond if a response is needed. Miss this window and the application is abandoned, which is why we hold the address for service.
- Advertisement: the accepted mark is published and anyone has 3 months to oppose.
- About 24 months from filing: the registration certificate issues. Your rights run from the filing date, for ten years, renewable.
There is a fuller walk-through, with what can go wrong at each stage, in the official action guide and the opposition guide.
What clients say
“The BrandLaw team guided us throughout the entire process and secured our trade marks with ease and professionalism.”
Danny de Nobrega
“Stephanie Zietsman and Stephan Viollier at BrandLaw and Viollier IP have been amazing to work with. They took the time to thoroughly explain and take us through the trade mark process.”
Vuyo Tofile
More than 1,500 marks filed. Every filing attorney-handled, start to finish. Read the reviews on Google.
Where we are, and how to reach us
BrandLaw | Viollier Attorneys
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (UTC+2)
WhatsApp or call +34 623 428 706 · [email protected]
We are based in Cape Town with a presence in Barcelona and New York. Foreign applicants and the firms that instruct on their behalf can read the filing from abroad page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an attorney to register a trade mark in South Africa?
No. Anyone may file at CIPC for R590 per class. You need an attorney for the part that comes after filing: the examiner’s report, the conditions, the deadlines and the judgement calls on classes and wording that decide what you actually own.
What is the difference between a trade mark attorney and a filing service?
A filing service lodges a form. An attorney is admitted, insured, bound by professional rules and answerable for the advice. At BrandLaw a SAIIPL-certified attorney drafts and signs off every application and answers every examiner’s report.
How do I check that you are real attorneys?
Stephan Viollier is admitted in South Africa and in New York; Stephanie Zietsman is admitted in South Africa. Both are certified by the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law. Ask us for the admission details and the SAIIPL listing and we will send them.
Do you charge by the hour?
Not for a filing, a search, a renewal or a recordal: those are fixed. The one hourly item is arguing against a provisional refusal, at R1,450 to R2,450 an hour depending on the seniority of the attorney, and we quote before we start.
Can a foreign company use you to file in South Africa?
Yes. South Africa is not in the Madrid system, so a national application through a local address for service is the only route. We act for foreign applicants and for the firms that instruct us, at the same fixed fees, invoiced in ZAR, USD or EUR.
Related guides
- What trade mark registration really costs
- How CIPC registration works (and the DIY route)
- Official action from CIPC: what it means and what to do
- Trade mark opposition: procedure and costs
- Trade mark renewal: dates, costs and the grace period
- What is a trade mark?
- How to trade mark a name in South Africa
Written and reviewed by
Stephan Viollier – Trade Mark & IP Attorney, SAIIPL-certified, admitted in South Africa and the United States (New York)
This page explains South African trade mark practice in general terms. It is information, not legal advice on your particular mark – for that, talk to us.
