Erik is a South African patent attorney and one of the founding partners at Von Seidels.

With his background in electronic engineering and computer science he advises a large number of established technology companies and tech start-ups on their local and international patent acquisition, prosecution and enforcement strategies.

Erik has a thriving patent drafting practice focusing on software, mobile technologies, mobile apps, electronic commerce, banking, telecommunications, and digital signal processing and related technologies.

His other areas of expertise include:

• advising on the international transfer of intellectual property rights and preparing applications to the South African Reserve Bank for offshore IP transfers;
• advising companies on strategically aligning their intellectual property portfolios with a view to acquiring international investments;
• obtaining granted patents for traditionally more difficult technologies (such as software) in the most challenging international jurisdictions (USA, EPO, China etc.);
• drafting intellectual property based agreements including licensing, manufacture, research and development agreements; and
• renewable energy technologies.

Erik is the immediate past president of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL) and is a part-time lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Cape Town.

Managing Intellectual Property recognises Erik van der Vyver as a ‘Patent Star’ (2013 - 2023).

IAM Patent 1000 features Erik as a Recommended Individual (2012 - 2023).

Legal 500 recognises Erik as a ‘Leading Individual’ (2014 - 2023).

Who’s Who Legal features Erik as a patent expert (2023).