Assessment of the economic impact of intellectual property systems; development of intellectual property strategies for policymakers, research institutions and commercial entities
Assessing the Benefits of National Intellectual Property Systems to African Countries
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has undertaken, in 2004, a project to assess the benefits of the intellectual property system to countries in the African region. The assessment consists in examining current intellectual property policies, practices and strategies for the development, management and commercialization of intellectual property rights with a view to generating empirical data which can serve as a strategic tool for making informed intellectual property decisions.
In order to guarantee quality and harmonized results, a methodology has been developed for the purpose. The deliverables will be a series of national intellectual property profiles.
The pilot project started in five countries, namely: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania. In each country, a local consultant has been assigned to conduct a national assessment for a three-month period and three assistants have been recruited to help him/her carry it out.
It is planned to replicate this activity in other African countries in the near future.
Methodology [ DOC ]
Questionnaires:
- Intellectual Property Offices/Government Agencies [ DOC ]
- Universities, Non-University Academic Institutions, Technology Centres, Research and Development (R&D) Institutions, R&D Units of Large Institutions/Networks [ DOC ]
- Business Enterprises [ DOC ]
Intellectual Property and Public Health
A Ministerial Round Table on Intellectual Property and Public Policy Issues was held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, in August 2004. The following countries participated: Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A session was devoted to intellectual property and public health. It provided some insight into major intellectual property issues arising from the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and the Doha Ministerial Declaration as regards access to medicines, highlighting new flexibilities introduced by the Decision of the World Trade Organization (WTO) of August 30, 2003, and how developing countries can benefit from them. It also focussed on NEPAD’s response to the issue of intellectual property and access to medicines, and presented a recent initiative aimed at building the capacity for drug manufacturing in the African region.
