By Ephraim Kasozi
Product proprietors should acquire exclusive
rights on their respective inventions to
exclude others from dealing, making, using, and or selling them, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire, has said.
exclude others from dealing, making, using, and or selling them, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire, has said.
Gen Otafiire also called for vigilance among the public to insure and recognise exclusive rights on locally invented products.
Speaking at the opening of the Council of
Ministers of the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation
(ARIPO) in Kampala, Gen Otafiire attributed the rampant infringement on
Intellectual Property (IP) to low levels of awareness about the
exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets such as musical,
literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions. “In Uganda, we
have many products ranging from music to natural products like fish and
honey. If the people dealing in these products acquire patent on these
products, they can sale to harness premium prices,” said Gen Otafiire.
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) in
partnership with ARIPO, organised the summit to enhance harmonisation of
the legal framework among partner states to boost patent and other
industrial property matters.
According to Gen Otafiire, IP is at the centre of
countries’ economic and social development because traditional knowledge
is one of the biggest assets that Africans have and could use to
improve their well being. “In the new knowledge economy, IP is the
epicenter of growth and development. Developed economies bears testimony
to the immense contribution that IP plays in the well being of
humanity,” said Gen. Otafiire appealing to ARIPO partner states to
formulate a new thrust in the growth and development of economies.
Mr Fernando dos Santos, the ARIPO Director
General, said there is need for economies to exchange views and
experience of their work towards enhancement of the IP regime in Africa.
“As you know, IP is developing at a fast pace.
This means that the secretariat should update its work to keep abreast
with the current developments in the economies, so a number of working
documents have been prepared for the attention of the administrative
council including amendments,” he added
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