Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 31-01-2019
A senior economics lecturer at Wits University has told Radio Islam the matter between the ‘Please Call Me’ inventor and Vodacom would’ve been settled if the amount being claimed was reasonable.
The Please Call Me Movement headed by Modise Setoaba says Vodacom owes Kenneth Makate R70 billion for his Please Call Me idea.
The movement has organised protest action at Vodacom’s head office for today, demanding that a settlement with Makate be reached.
Wits University’s Lumkile Mondi says the demand for R70-billion rand by Makate may be overreaching.
“He could’ve even take it to court because that will have amazing statistics proving the value of that and the court will then adjudicate on the matter.”
Mondi says while MTN may have more of an ability stake a claim over the please call me service, a patent has to have unique features for it to be protected.
“In this case really, given that was a development of an industry, it means that many parties or many other competitors will discover the same capability. So I think that’s probably explains why it didn’t go that way of MTN as well as other mobile telecom companies across the world.”
Vodacom maintains it has made Makate a reasonable offer, but he’s rejected the settlement calling it an insult.
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