News of the South HARARE – ARIPO HQ-. EXPERTS in the intellectual property (IP) matters usually speak to themselves defeating their intention of disseminating information for the benefit of the publics, a leading IP consultant says.
Dr. Dick Kamuganga was speaking at the ongoing IP workshop at African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) headquarters (HQ) in Harare today.
The workshop is zeroing in on ‘The importance of Intellectual Property Management in Universities and Research and Development Institutions in Africa’.
He was making an input on the discourse stimulated by one of the participants at the high level workshop here.
Responding to a question by director, innovation and IP at International University of Management (IUM) and Business Intellectual Property Authority ( BIPA) Seno Namwandi (Namibia).
He said: "A lot of information is not getting to the grassroots. Experts are speaking to themselves. In as much as the experts want that message to reach the grassroots it is made difficult by the level of complication in the way they (experts) articulate issues.
However, a lot of people from different backgrounds could be assisted by simplifying that discourse in our African countries, take farmers for example.
"We need to be aware of the audience and package messages accordingly so that we are relevant as agents of development, progressive development for that matter'.
Probed further by the Mandela Scholarship beneficiary on the importance of databases in research and development, spiking the lack of shrewdness and specialization, the sharp mind responded: “Something that we’re not utilizing as players in the IP industry is databases. Databases affect all sectors of the economy informing on who’s doing what. In that vein, collaboration becomes more confusing leading to duplication.
" There's need to come up with policies and archives of innovation leagued according to universities".
The two day workshop is putting together IP experts, practitioners and students into one basket and explore deeper means to make IP work for the African context.
A pool of countries under the ARIPO banner are also gathered at the event. Ambassadors' representatives from Botswana and Zambia are present while Ambassadors from Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique and The Sudan graced the occasion.
(ARIPO) is an inter-governmental organisation created in 1976 to facilitate cooperation among member states in intellectual property matters.
The objective is pooling financial and human resources and seeking technological advancement for economic, social, technological, scientific, and industrial development.
The workshop witnessed official opening of the august event by ARIPO director General Fernando dos Santos, who made similarly revealing observations in his remarks.
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