ARIPO, AfrIPI Hold 1st-ever Communication Training On Intellectual Property Rights System
The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Project in Africa (AfrIPI) hosted a Communication Training on the ARIPO Regional Intellectual Property Rights System from 8 to 10 November 2022 at the ARIPO Secretariat in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Representatives from ARIPO Member and Observer States are attending the event in person.
Participants include members of the National IP Offices, Government communicators, and the media from Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, The Kingdom of Eswatini, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Communication Training is the first of its kind at ARIPO and the region.
Participants said the event was essential in the field of Intellectual Property (IP). Said Aida Galindo, AfrIPI Project Leader:
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Communication plays a significant role in building respect and awareness of intellectual property rights. Without effective communication, the business sector, including SMEs, innovation hubs, and Research & Development institutions, will not readily be aware of intellectual property rights and how these rights can benefit their businesses and sustainably sustain their national economies. At AfrIPI, we are committed to help the Africa communication community to make the most of IP promotion.
Counterfeit products, which don’t comply with intellectual property rules, can threaten consumers’ health and, in some cases, lives. Serious dangers have been linked to counterfeit products ingested by consumers (food, drink, medicines) or put directly on the skin (cosmetics, fragrances). People in the creative sector, such as artists and designers, are also affected by infringers who claim ownership of their work that is not protected, for instance. Subsequently, intellectual property is a subject that matters to everyone, and it is in your hands, as communicators, to share this message.
Mr. Bemanya Twebaze, Director General of ARIPO said IP awareness in Africa can transform lives by helping reduce poverty, creating employment, and accelerating economic growth. Twebaze added:
For this reason, we are intentionally conducting this training to ensure that, ultimately, we are all well-versed with the mandate of ARIPO, as well as the IP system and its potential benefits.
As will be demonstrated in this training, IP can be leveraged as a tool to facilitate Africa’s development. This is made possible by providing incentives to inventors and creators and facilitating the disclosure of knowledge and the transfer of technology and know-how.
This Communication Training on the ARIPO Regional Intellectual Property Rights System reviewed those rights, including patents, trademarks, copyright and related rights, utility models, industrial designs, geographical indications, plant varieties, and trade secrets, and how to communicate them to the public.
The training also covered the ARIPO protocols and their respective scopes.
Moreover, two seasoned trainers in the field of communication from Ghana and Uganda also shared best practices on how to communicate IP effectively.
The objective of this training was to build the capacity of the participants to understand intellectual property issues and raise IP awareness among various stakeholders.
It was also premised on helping promote respect for IP rights and encourage intellectual property protection.
Intellectual property rights (‘IPRs’ or ‘IP rights’) are legally enforceable rights over the use of inventions or other creative works.
IPRs include trademarks, patents, utility models, industrial designs, copyright, plant breeders’ rights, layout designs of integrated circuits, geographical indications, new plant varieties and traditional knowledge, genetic resources, and expressions of folklore.
