27 Feb 2019

The country is currently faced with a challenge of dealing with an influx of counterfeit products that enter the borders illegally and later find their way into the local market.

This was said by Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) compliance, awareness and client services director, Ms Ntesang Sebetso, during the two-day CIPA consultative workshop for clearing agents and brand owners, on February 26.

The workshop was meant to educate clearing agents and brand owners on various aspects of Intellectual Property (IP), more especially enforcement of IP law in Botswana. 

The event was also tailored for people trading in goods that displayed different brands to correct mistakes they would have made in the past when importing them.

“Many Batswana have taken an opportunity to import goods and sell them in the local market. So, it is important that they are able to identify businesses that provide goods that are allowed to be sold in Botswana because certain trademarks are registered in Botswana and we have to protect them,” said Ms Sebetso.  

“Although the importation and selling of goods locally is an opportunity that should be taken advantage of, we urge you to observe the law,” she added.    

Ms Sebetso said there was a need for a collaboration of all IP players to work together to build a strong IP regime that could be used as a tool to develop, grow and diversify the economy. 

Intellectual property, she said was important as it gave exclusive rights to right holders, to be the only ones responsible for ensuring that whatever products or services they had in the market, ‘they control it, authorise and license who can distribute, sell or lend such a product’.

“As people who are responsible for ensuring that goods enter into our market, we thought that it is important that we share with you all this information, as we believe that, going forward, the information will assist you to make the right decisions in the calls of you doing business,” she added. 

In his presentation on the protection of trademarks, CIPA registration officer, Mt Qualitus Ketjimambo also emphasised that, if well managed, and people were made aware, IP could facilitate the realisation of a knowledge-based economy.

Trademarks, Mr Ketjimambo said were important as they allowed companies to mark territory, as they created an image of the product in the minds of the public, particularly the prospective consumers of goods. 

Additionally, he said trademarks also ensured the extension of the mark through licensing or franchising possibilities, guaranteed the quality of the product or service, promoted product and services and thus provided an effective mode of advertising. Ends