Terms of service

1. Who we are

Jaide is operated by [Firm legal name] (registration number [registration number]), trading as Jaide, of [physical address], South Africa. Attorney services on the platform are provided by Dolata & co. attorneys, whose practitioners are regulated by the Legal Practice Council.

"We" means [Firm legal name]; "you" means the person or organisation using the platform.

2. The service

Jaide helps you discover, check and protect a brand in South Africa:

• A free exact search of CIPC trade mark records. It finds exact matches only, not similar marks.
• A comprehensive search: an attorney-reviewed report on the availability of your mark.
• Attorney-prepared filings with CIPC at a fixed fee per application per class.
• A tracking dashboard, which is coming soon and not yet part of the service.

We may change, suspend or withdraw any part of the platform. Instructions already accepted will be completed or refunded under the fees section below.

3. Attorney relationship

Using the platform on its own, including the free exact search, creating an account or reading AI suggestions, does not create an attorney–client relationship with Dolata & co. attorneys.

A mandate arises only when the attorneys accept a paid instruction, such as a comprehensive search or a filing. Acceptance may be subject to a conflict check; if the attorneys cannot act, we will tell you and refund that instruction.

The mandate covers the instruction you paid for. It does not include monitoring deadlines, renewals or oppositions unless you instruct the attorneys in writing.

4. Accounts

You need an account to buy a search or filing. Give accurate details, keep your login credentials confidential and tell us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access. You are responsible for activity on your account. If you act for an organisation, you confirm you are authorised to bind it to these terms.

5. Fees and payment

• Fees are fixed and shown before you pay. Filing fees are charged per application per class and include CIPC official fees where this is stated on the price.
• Prices are in South African rand (ZAR) and include VAT [confirm VAT treatment].
• Payments are processed by PayFast. We do not see or store your card details.
• Refunds: [refund policy, including whether fees are refundable once an attorney has started work or a CIPC fee has been paid].

Work starts once payment has cleared. If CIPC changes its official fees after you pay, [state whether the difference is absorbed or charged].

6. Your responsibilities

When you instruct a search or filing you must:

• give accurate, complete brand, applicant and contact information, and update it if it changes;
• confirm that you have the authority to file in the applicant's name;
• respond promptly to requests from the attorneys or CIPC, since delays can cause an application to lapse; and
• sign a power of attorney and any other document CIPC requires.

We rely on what you tell us. Losses caused by inaccurate or incomplete information are your responsibility.

7. No guarantee of registration

Filing does not guarantee registration. CIPC examines every application and may object, and third parties may oppose it. Registration typically takes 18 to 24 months and the timing is outside our control. A search, even a comprehensive one, reduces but does not remove the risk of a conflicting mark. Fees are charged for work performed, not for an outcome.

8. AI features

Jaide uses artificial intelligence to analyse brand names, logos and websites and to suggest trade mark classes and marks. These suggestions are starting points, not legal advice, and may be incomplete or wrong. The attorneys review the selected classes and marks before a filing is submitted, but you remain responsible for checking what you submit.

9. Intellectual property in the platform

The platform, its software, design, text and the Jaide name and logo belong to us or our licensors. You may not copy, scrape, reverse engineer or resell any part of it.

You keep all rights in the brand names, logos and other material you submit, and you licence us to process that material to provide the service, including sharing it with CIPC and the attorneys.

10. Acceptable use

You must not:

• submit material you have no right to use, or that infringes another person's rights;
• use the platform to harass, deceive or harm anyone, or to file marks in bad faith;
• run automated queries, bulk searches or scraping against the platform; or
• interfere with the security or operation of the platform.

11. Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by South African law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, or loss arising from CIPC delays, examiner objections, oppositions, inaccurate third-party records or your own errors. Our total liability for an instruction is limited to the fees you paid for it. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including the professional duties of the attorneys.

12. Termination

You may close your account at any time. We may suspend or close it if you breach these terms. Accepted instructions will be completed unless the breach prevents it, and the attorneys may withdraw from a mandate in line with their professional rules.

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Disputes will be resolved by [forum], without limiting any right you have to approach a consumer or legal services ombud.

14. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The date at the top shows when they last changed, and material changes will be announced on the platform or by email. Instructions already accepted stay subject to the terms in force when they were accepted.

15. Contact

Questions about these terms can be sent to [contact email] or to [Firm legal name], [physical address].