Digital IP and E-commerce – Protecting your online assets

In a digital-first economy, online content is your most valuable asset—and your most vulnerable. This practical course equips creators, businesses, and platform operators with the legal and strategic tools to protect digital content, manage IP risks on e commerce platforms, and implement effective digital rights management (DRM). Learn how to safeguard your brand, enforce your rights, and navigate online infringement in an era of rapid technological change.

Join us for this six-hour remote short course, presented over two days.

When?

7 to 8 September 2026, 9:00 to 12:00 SAST

This course will be held remotely, most likely on Zoom - exact details will be sent to registered participants a few days before the course.

Course outline

1. Understanding digital IP in the online economy

What counts as digital intellectual property
Copyright, trademarks, trade secrets, and digital assets
Ownership, licensing, and user generated content considerations

2. Online piracy and digital content theft

Common forms of online piracy (stream ripping, file sharing, scraping, AI driven copying)
How infringers operate and why digital content is vulnerable
Legal remedies and practical enforcement strategies

3. IP Infringement on E-commerce platforms

How infringement occurs on marketplaces (counterfeits, unauthorised reselling, brand impersonation)
Platform liability and safe harbour rules
Notice and takedown procedures (local and international)
Monitoring tools and brand protection strategies

4. Digital rights management (DRM) and technological protection measures

DRM technologies and their legal status
Watermarking, fingerprinting, access controls, and encryption
Balancing user experience with protection
Anti circumvention laws and enforcement

5. Online content protection strategies

Contracts, licensing, and terms of service
Using metadata, automated monitoring, and AI based detection
Social media brand protection
Evidence gathering for online infringement cases

Who will benefit from this course?

Creative industry professionals
E-commerce businesses and online retailers
Digital entrepreneurs and startups
Marketing and brand managers
Legal, compliance, and IP professionals
Platform operators and marketplace administrators
Government and ecosystem stakeholders supporting digital trade

Presenter

Jesse-Lee Wrensch is the Director of HWK Consulting, specialising in cross-border legal strategy for technology, creative, and digital entertainment businesses. With deep expertise in intellectual property law, innovation policy, and the commercialisation of emerging technologies, they advise clients across Africa and globally on navigating complex regulatory and IP landscapes.

They hold an LLB and LLM (cum laude) from the University of the Western Cape, as well as an Advanced International Certificate in IP Asset Management from WIPO, KIPO, KIPA, and KAIST. As a lecturer in Intellectual Property Law and an assessor for international online education programmes, Jesse-Lee brings a unique blend of academic insight and practical industry experience.

Their work focuses on the intersection of AI, creativity, and IP protection—helping organisations understand the risks, opportunities, and strategic pathways emerging from rapid technological change. They are passionate about supporting Africa’s creative and digital ecosystems and enabling innovators to thrive in a shifting global IP environment.

How much?

R3,300 per person

Certificate

A digital certificate of attendance from UCT will be issued to those who attend the full course.

Please note that the digital certificate can only be viewed on a secure portal. It cannot be downloaded or printed. You will have the option of ordering a hard copy of the certificate at your own cost, including the cost of the courier fee. More information is available here.

No certificate will be issued without the full course fee having been received. Please allow up to three weeks after the end of the course for certificates to be processed.

How to sign up

Complete and submit the registration form. You will then be given the payment information. Please note that registrations will not be accepted until payment has been made.

One or two days before the course, we will send you the Zoom link. You will need to register and use a password to enter the virtual classroom.

Registrations close three days before the course starts.

Download the brochure.