WIPO to support innovation in Nigeria

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced plans to strengthen Nigeria’s technology innovation centres with particular reference to the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) established by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) in tertiary institutions and research centres across the country.

WIPO will help strengthen existing national capacities through the creation of Technology Innovation Support Centres (TISC) – digital libraries comprising 70,000 specialized patents on-line.

These centres will be established in the universities not only to promote innovations but also to ensure that learning was linked to practical life.

According to Dr. Ituku Elangi Botoy, Project coordinator of the Innovation and Technology Support Section of WIPO, no country has developed without prioritizing science and technology and that Nigeria would not be an exception.

 

Innovation, IP & India – commentary from the Indian pharmaceutical industry

Ranjit Shahani, President of the Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India released the following statement on Intellectual Property Day concerning the effect drug patent protection is having on innovation in India:

Emotion tends to override facts when it comes to patents and patients’ concerns. Consider the fears stoked when India joined the World Trade Organization in 1995. Many feared drug prices could rise, access to medicines could be reduced and many Indian pharmaceutical companies could close down.

Fifteen years later, these fears have proved unfounded: Drugs in each category are available at multiple price points, accessibility is clearly independent of patents, and Indian companies have become multinationals and enter[ed] foreign markets worldwide.

When India reinstated patent protection via IPR (intellectual property rights) reforms, many feared this would lead to decreased access to medicine and delayed entry of generic medicines. Despite the lack of pharmaceutical patents in India for 35 years and some of the lowest prices for medicine in the world, access to medicine in India remained among the lowest in developing nations. In other words, patents have little to do with the ability to access medicines.

While many try to point fingers at drug patents and IPR protection, the lack of healthcare financing and particularly health insurance are the real culprit[s]. Limiting the types of innovations which receive patent protection, as India currently does, won’t improve the health of Indians.

Small innovations that build on existing knowledge are the true backbone and a specific strength of the pharma industry. Yet, Indian laws prohibit certain types of pharmaceutical innovations from patent protection, thereby discouraging research. Indeed, this policy hurts Indian patients the most.

There are many meaningful benefits of continued research on existing medicines. For instance, drug formulations and delivery systems can be optimised for greater effectiveness in India’s hot, humid climate. Paediatric formulations could be developed for babies suffering from diseases more often found in adults. It could also promote the development of treatment for diseases prevalent in India — tuberculosis, malaria, filariasis and other tropical diseases — where breakthroughs are unfortunately rare.

Innovation, research and patent protection are critical to introducing new drugs into the market. Innovations and effective drugs are inseparable, as diseases constantly mutate and many have inadequate treatments

Without patent protection, innovations decline, as R&D needs immense investments. Due to high, ever-increasing R&D costs, only two in 10 approved medicines earn more than the average cost of developing a new drug. Statistics are telling: a new drug discovery cost around $138 million in 1975, $318 million in 1987 and more than $1.3 billion in 2006.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has acknowledged the critical role of innovation at the 97th Indian Science Congress held in Thiruvananthapuram recently: “Our Government has declared 2010-20 as the ‘Decade of Innovations’. We need new solutions in many areas… in healthcare, in energy, in urban infrastructure, in water management, in transportation… The country must develop an Innovation Eco-system to stimulate innovations… And innovative solutions with potential must be nurtured and rapidly applied.”

As we take a look at drug patents on Intellectual Property Day, we must not forget the important role they play in keeping India and the world healthy. With viruses that mutate constantly — HIV/AIDS, H1N1, and TB — incremental innovations are imperative to stay one step ahead in the war against disease. If all innovations are protected to expand treatment options, millions of patients in India and worldwide will benefit. At stake are not just patents, but the lives of millions.

World IP Day – 10th Anniversary

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of World Intellectual Property Day.  Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization commented that “Innovative technologies are creating a truly global society. The intellectual property system is part of this linking process. It facilitates the sharing of information. It provides a framework for trading and disseminating technologies. It offers incentives to innovate and compete. It helps structure the collaboration needed to meet the daunting global challenges, such as climate change and spiraling energy needs, confronting us all.”

IP rights provide a structure for the sharing of information, but also protect it’s use in the short term – providing incentives not only for innovation but also the sharing of knowledge.

In a separate speech to mark World IP Day, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said “Let’s be clear: IP (intellectual property) theft in overseas markets is a job killer, and it’s an export killer.”

UN report on patents and innovation

“History has shown… that companies and countries which continue to invest in new products and innovation during times of economic recession will be those that will be best positioned to take advantage of the recovery, when it arrives,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry.

Demand for international trademarks and patents dropped last year in the wake of the global economic crisis.  A report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) points to weaker growth in patent filings in 2008, after a 3.7 per cent increase in 2007.

“What happens in an economic crisis is that there’s an interference in the value chain of intellectual property,” said Gurry.

Thus reduced profits from innovation lead to reduced investment in research and development and reduced applications for patent filings and trademarks.

But the trend is not uniform across countries and the WIPO report points to the growing use by East Asian countries, such as China, as its enterprises and universities become familiar with the international patent system.  China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) office has replaced the EPO as the fourth largest issuer of grants behind offices in Japan, the US, and the Republic of Korea.

Ministers from Least-Developed Countries develop strategy to encourage local innovation and investment

Ministers and other senor government officials from least developed countries agreed to a strategy for using intellectual property to encourage local innovation and encourage foreign investment at a recent WIPO Forum.  The ministers also discussed the challenges facing LDCs in this area, in particular the difficulties for LDCs to obtain better access to technological information.

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry told participants that IP is a key element in reducing the knowledge gap and the digital divide.

Mrs. Mpeo Mahase Moiloa, Lesotho’s Minister for Law and Constitutional Affairs, said formulating national policies that integrate strategic use of IP is a priority for LDCs.  She noted that LDCs will reap the benefits of IP once IP considerations are fully integrated into national policies.

Ethiopia’s Minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Juneydi Saddo, called for WIPO’s support in manpower training and bridging the technology gap, noting that “intellectual property is critical to this.”

A Ministerial Declaration urged WIPO to intensify its capacity-building assistance for LDCs and to support LDCs in improving competitiveness of their enterprises through regular access to new technologies. The Declaration also appealed to development partners to make more funds available for LDC-specific projects.

Tanzania’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Marketing, Mrs. Mary Nagu, said that while LDCs once viewed IP as a monopoly tool, they now see it as “an instrument for sustainable development.” Mrs. Nagu said her country has put in place comprehensive copyright laws that have created opportunities for developing the entertainment industry and contributing positively to the country’s gross domestic product.

World IP Day 2009

As designated by the World Intellectual Property Organization, April 26th is World IP Day…  Each year, WIPO and its Member States celebrate World Intellectual Property Day with activities geared towards increasing public understanding of what IP really means, and to demonstrate how the IP system fosters not only music, arts and entertainments, but also all the products and technological innovations that help to shape our world.

Some of the events and activities being organized by member states and organizations include:

Brazil
To celebrate the Day, the Faculdade Autonomo de Direito (FADISP) or Law Faculty at the University of São Paolo is organizing a full day of events at the Auditorium of FADISP, Rua João Moura 313, São Paulo, on April 27. In the morning, beginning at 9.30 a.m., the public will be invited to a discussion led by a panel of experts, who will speak on the fight against piracy: the experts will include academics in the field, appropriate Government officials and legal practitioners.  More information can be found at: www.fadisp.com.br

Finland
World IP Day is to be celebrated for four days, from 21 to 24 April.  The theme for 2009 is ‘Recovery through Innovation,’ which is very topical in the current economic situation. The goal is, in accordance with the Finnish Innovation Strategy, to challenge all Finns to revise their thinking and to innovate.

Guatemala

• celebration of the cooperation agreement between the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and the Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual, which will initiate a project of empowerment in IP, emphasizing patents and exchange of information, aimed at students, researchers and University teachers; and
• a cooperation agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONCYT), the Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología (SENACYT) and the Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual, which supports activities connected with innovation and which is aimed at young people.

India
The Confederation of Indian Industry, in partnership with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will host celebrations in New Delhi on Sunday, April 26, 2009, with a National Seminar. The event will showcase India’s IPR initiatives and achievements, and recognize and reward inventors across the country for their contributions towards harnessing the intellectual capital of the country. Leaders from Indian industry and research will come together to engage with the general public on IP issues, highlighting the benefits of the system, and the role it plays in the growth and prosperity of the country.

Russian Federation
To celebrate World Intellectual Property Day, activities have been planned including:

• a series of regional seminars on IPR protection and enforcement; and
• events around IP issues within the framework of a Forum 2009 entitled “Intellectual Property—X XI Century” in Moscow and in the regions of Russia.

United Kingdom
To celebrate World IP Day 2009, the Intellectual Property Office is:

• hosting an Intellectual Property Celebration at the Science Museum in London for IP stakeholders on April 22, with attendance by invitation only;
• organizing an internal seminar on the theme of “Exploitation of IP University/Industry Research Projects” on April 24, with guest speakers from the academic and business communities; and
• offering Business Advice Open Day which is the largest, cross government business support road show of its kind, dedicated to providing free information and support to businesses, to be held in Maidstone on April 30.

Other World IP Day events

China to strengthen protection of intellectual property rights

Protection of intellectual property rights is necessary not only for economic development and country-to-country exchanges, but is also a matter of respecting the value of people’s work, stated Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Wen was speaking yesterday in a meeting with Francis Gurry, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  Premier Wen also said his government would increase efforts to protect intellectual property rights (IPR).  The Chinese government will continue to implement their IPR strategy to promote scientific innovation, economic growth, cultural prosperity and social progress, he said.

Gurry spoke highly of China’s big progress in IPR protection and said the WIPO would work with China to contribute to the global IPR protection efforts.

Read more in an article from the Xinhua News Agency.

Strong IP system boosts knowledge economy development

Strong intellectual property protection is essential to the economic growth of developing countries, according to a senior official with the World Intellectual Property Association.   “It is a myth and complete misunderstanding to think that IP protection is not important. It is relevant to all countries wanting to build up their economy,” stated the WIPO official.

Ensuring strong intellectual property protection also encourages innovation, which is particularly important as it relates to medical innovation.  Patients around the world benefit from the development of new medical treatments as well as improvements to existing technologies, products and processes.

Malaysian National News Service – Strong IP System To Boost Knowledge Economy Development
GENEVA, Nov 14 (Bernama) — A strong intellectual property (IP) system not only boosts but forms an essential component of a countrys development of its knowledge-based economy, says a senior official with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

“It is a myth and complete misunderstanding to think that IP protection is not important. It is relevant to all countries wanting to build up their economy,” said Yo Takagi, an executive director with WIPO.

Today’s economic growth is being led by innovation where it has surpassed labour and productivity growth in some countries, he said.

“Knowledge-based international trade in the recent decades has increased and on a global average it has overtaken the trade of resource-based products,” Takagi said during a seminar on IP here for journalists from 25 developing countries and countries in transition.

In the share of exports comprising manufactured products globally by technology, in the last 30 years, middle-tech products have remained in the upper rung, while high-tech products have begun to surpass that of lower tech products and resource-based products, he said.

There is no denying that innovation in all areas has become the driving force of economic growth and with this, the increasing importance of properly placed IP laws which will protect the owners of such properties and rightfully the economic benefits that they will be able to derive from their innovations, Takagi said.

“Twenty-eight years ago, IP was covered by dust, nobody thought of it as an important aspect of economic development. A good IP system will both nurture the growth of intellectual properties and their protection against various infringements,” he said.

An IP is broadly described as an authentic creation, big or small, whether of a complete product or part of product, a technology as well as creative works like designs and writing, and it can be the creation of a company or an individual. It gives the creator of the entity the right to protect the work or entity lawfully, whether through the ownership of a patent, copyright and trademark.

All intellectual properties are economic tools and as such they should be rightfully protected and respected. But in reality, it is not always so.

While there are various international and national laws governing patents, copyrights and trademark, the infringements are wide and many, often going across borders.

The infringements are plenty and the area of IP has remained a major challenge for policy makers as well as legal practitioners in the field amid the growing challenges and technologies thrown in by the new media like the Internet.

Among others, education, establishing national systems of innovation, IP institutions are all factors that will contribute towards using IP as a tool for development and will also enhance a nation’s competitiveness when participating in the global market, Takagi said.

Malaysia has been one of the earliest countries in the Asian region to sign on a WIPO treaty. In 2007, it was among the top 10 developing countries filing for patents with the WIPO.

The origin of WIPO dates back to the late 19th century with the adoption of the first international IP treaty, the Paris Convention for the protection of industrial properties. Today, it is one of the 16 specialised agencies of the United Nations.

Strengthening the economies of developping countries through intellectual property

As reported in This Day Online, Assistant Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, has advocated a structured approach in harnessing Nigeria’s intellectual property assets, which he said  remained one of the tools for economic development.

“The most important source of technological information known to man today is the patent system. And Nigeria needs to seize the opportunity”, he stated.

The top WIPO official said the country has creative sectors such as the pharmaceutical, music and film industries, research sector, cultural sector and individual inventors that remain untapped.

“In a world increasingly geared towards wealth creation through intellectual property, Nigeria has vast opportunities to diversify its economy. The level of awareness at the policy level is important”, he said.

“Nigeria’s strategy should be to increase our intellectual property assets by strengthening the necessary institutions, giving them the autonomy to operate and enacting legislation to achieve these objectives”.

“Oil is the mainstay of our economy now. When oil finishes, what you will need to be competitive is a knowledge economy. Countries like Switzerland, Singapore and Japan have no natural resources but have built their wealth based on intellectual assets”.