Adedayo Akinwale and Palvin Namero in Abuja
The federal government through the
Trademark and Designs Registry has said lack of knowledge of what a
patent or industry right is hindering local inventors from filing for
patent rights for their inventions and protecting their intellectual
property (IP).
The Registrar, Trademark and Designs
Registry, Mrs. Stella Ezenduka, disclosed this in Abuja during the
recently held 2018 edition of the African day for technology and
intellectual property, organised by the National Office for Technology
Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).
Ezenduka, who was represented by the
Assistant Chief Registrar, Ms. Jane Igwe, revealed that in 2017, the
registry had a remarkable number of patents and design filings, and that
86 per cent of these were from foreign inventors, while local inventors
accounted for only 14 per cent.
She noted that one factors the registry has identified as hindering the number of inventions filed was ignorance.
According to Ezenduka “most of the grassroots inventors have little or no knowledge of what a patent or industry right is, or how it could be benefit them economically and even socially.”
According to Ezenduka “most of the grassroots inventors have little or no knowledge of what a patent or industry right is, or how it could be benefit them economically and even socially.”
He said the registry has therefore
decided to foster effective collaboration with key agencies that are
critical to intellectual property regime in Nigeria in order into
enlighten and pass the message of intellectual property to the grassroot
inventors and as such bring their invention to the limelight.
The registrar stated: “As a registry we
are determined to see an increase in the number of local filings of
patents for mention and their accompanying industrial design.
“I am delighted to inform you that in
this year 2018 we have witnessed a 12 per cent growth in the number of
local filings in the registry. In 2019, we have hope to see this
percentage grow to 50 per cent,” she said.
Also, the Minister of Science and
Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said intellectual property culture would
create a veritable platform for the acquisition of technical skills and
add value to local raw materials.
He noted that in today’s knowledge based
economy and globalised business environment, absorption of new
technology, has become a vital component for companies to survive
through maintaining their competitive position in the market place.
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