15 Mar 2016

The acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ms Rosinah Bontsi says Botswana has benefitted from technical assistance offered by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO).

Speaking at the ARIPO seminar on making better use of intellectual property for business competiveness and development in Africa, Ms Bontsi said Botswana benefitted in terms of capacity building, financially and from technical assistance offered by ARIPO in the administration of the Industrial Property Act.

She said the act involves the examination of patents and industrial designs, training of staff at the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) as well as conducting awareness seminars on intellectual property laws.

“Botswana also receives revenue from ARIPO, being registration fees for patents and trademarks filed through regional systems of the Harare and Banjul Protocols,” she said, adding that the seminar came at the right time as Botswana was working to diversify her economy.

Ms Bontsi said the country needs to innovate and develop industries that were knowledge-based to create employment opportunities for the youth who were most affected by diversification from mining, which was based on natural resources.

To design and technology teachers, ICT companies and technical colleges lecturers, Ms Bontsi said by acquiring knowledge on intellectual property, they were in a position to influence the thousands of students who pass through their classes. She noted that the innovative projects they undertake could be turned into products that could be protected by the law.

She said the intellectual property protection accorded such products to be further developed and commercialised through licensing. She added that the law could provide economic empowerment and employment opportunities for students when they complete their studies.

ARIPO director general, Mr Fernando dos Santos said the ARIPO roving seminars were devised to promote the use of IP in ARIPO member states. He noted that in the last two years, the initiative covered 11 countries and benefited more than 1 000 participants.

Mr Dos Santos said the seminar would cover topics such as industrial property, traditional knowledge, plant variety protection and geographical indications.

He said Botswana was one of the most valuable members of ARIPO, adding that it continuously ratifies protocols for the protection of intellectual property rights. Ends