25 Aug 2016

Registrar general of Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA), Mr Conductor Masena says it is important to consolidate Intellectual Property enforcement activities and make their protection in Botswana more efficient.

Speaking during Intellectual Property Protection Police workshop organised by CIPA in  collaboration with the US embassy on August 24, he said creative and innovation industries are one of the most dynamic sectors in the world economy today.

“Not only do these industries provide exciting opportunities for innovators, creators and authors, but also provide an opportunity for diversifying economies,” he said.

Mr Masena said studies on the economic contribution of the creative industry in African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa had shown that the sector contributed between four to five per cent of GDP.

“As a country we have come a long way in development of our Intellectual Property system as evidenced by the growing number of creators and innovators coming to register their works with CIPA,” he said.

He said currently,  most enforcement efforts were targeted at piracy of CDs and DVDs and some counterfeit products.

“As the rights holders become more and more aware of their IP rights, our enforcement activities should begin to include other sectors of the creative and innovative industries such as writers, architects, patents and even traditional knowledge,” said Mr Masena.

Earlier on, Mr Masena highlighted that they had with Botswana Police Services and other law enforcement agencies a positive working relationship.

“Over the past just as an example we confiscated and destroyed close to P1million worth of pirated CDs and DVDs. The previous year we collaborated in raids where we confiscated tonnes of counterfeit products from the market,” he said.

In his key note address director of the International Law Enforcement Academy and US department of Homeland Security Attaché to Botswana, Mr Frank Berrios, said effective implementation always began with political will and they had already seen in Botswana government's commitment to IP in creating CIPA as an empowered authority.

“Your role as prosecutors and law enforcement professionals is particularly important, because no IP rights protection framework is stronger than its enforcement on the ground. You are the frontline defence against IP infringements and we look to you to both prevent infringements and create accountability for any violations,” he said.  Ends