Digital IP and E-commerce – Protecting your online assets 2026

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.

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. 

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.

SIGN UP HERE: Digital IP and E-commerce – Protecting your online assets | UCT Law at Work