LES South Africa (LES SA) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) would like to invite you to a hybrid format discussion introducing the WIPO Inventor Assistance Program (IAP), which empowers inventors and small businesses to secure patent protection for their innovations.

This session will explain how the program matches eligible applicants with volunteer patent professionals who provide free guidance through the application process. The discussion will cover how participants gain access to professional patent drafting and prosecution services both locally and internationally. We will also explore how the IAP levels the playing field for resource-limited inventors, helping transform promising ideas into protected commercial assets while increasing the chances of successfully securing patents at home and abroad. Additionally, best practices for IP commercialisation will be unpacked. Finally, we will watch a video from IAP beneficiary, Virendra Ramlakan, who participated in the program discussing his invention and experiences.