About Intellectual Property IP Training IP Outreach IP for… IP and... IP in... Patent & Technology Information Trademark Information Industrial Design Information Geographical Indication Information Plant Variety Information (UPOV) IP Laws, Treaties & Judgements IP Resources IP Reports Patent Protection Trademark Protection Industrial Design Protection Geographical Indication Protection Plant Variety Protection (UPOV) IP Dispute Resolution IP Office Business Solutions Paying for IP Services Negotiation & Decision-Making Development Cooperation Innovation Support Public-Private Partnerships The Organization Working with WIPO Accountability Patents Trademarks Industrial Designs Geographical Indications Copyright Trade Secrets WIPO Academy Workshops & Seminars World IP Day WIPO Magazine Raising Awareness Case Studies & Success Stories IP News WIPO Awards Business Universities Indigenous Peoples Judiciaries Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions Economics Gender Equality Global Health Climate Change Competition Policy Sustainable Development Goals Enforcement Frontier Technologies Mobile Applications Sports Tourism PATENTSCOPE Patent Analytics International Patent Classification ARDI – Research for Innovation ASPI – Specialized Patent Information Global Brand Database Madrid Monitor Article 6ter Express Database Nice Classification Vienna Classification Global Design Database International Designs Bulletin Hague Express Database Locarno Classification Lisbon Express Database Global Brand Database for GIs PLUTO Plant Variety Database GENIE Database WIPO-Administered Treaties WIPO Lex - IP Laws, Treaties & Judgments WIPO Standards IP Statistics WIPO Pearl (Terminology) WIPO Publications Country IP Profiles WIPO Knowledge Center WIPO Technology Trends Global Innovation Index World Intellectual Property Report PCT – The International Patent System ePCT Budapest – The International Microorganism Deposit System Madrid – The International Trademark System eMadrid Article 6ter (armorial bearings, flags, state emblems) Hague – The International Design System eHague Lisbon – The International System of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications eLisbon UPOV PRISMA Mediation Arbitration Expert Determination Domain Name Disputes Centralized Access to Search and Examination (CASE) Digital Access Service (DAS) WIPO Pay Current Account at WIPO WIPO Assemblies Standing Committees Calendar of Meetings WIPO Official Documents Development Agenda Technical Assistance IP Training Institutions COVID-19 Support National IP Strategies Policy & Legislative Advice Cooperation Hub Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) Technology Transfer Inventor Assistance Program WIPO GREEN WIPO's Pat-INFORMED Accessible Books Consortium WIPO for Creators WIPO ALERT Member States Observers Director General Activities by Unit External Offices Job Vacancies Procurement Results & Budget Financial Reporting Oversight

Roundtable Highlights Potential of Intellectual Property System for LDCs

Geneva, September 30, 1999
Press Releases PR/1999/193

A meeting organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) highlighted on Thursday the growing importance of intellectual property as a key component of wealth creation and examined the ways in which the world's poorest countries can use creativity, knowledge and information to accelerate their socio-economic development.

Opening the High-Level Interregional Roundtable on Intellectual Property for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), WIPO Director General Dr. Kamil Idris, said the economic might of nations is no longer measured only in terms of the classical factors of production: land, labor and capital but also in terms of knowledge and information. "Information and knowledge have already emerged as new factors of production and will soon rival the classical components of the economy, such as land, labor and capital," he said. The Director General added "In a knowledge-based society, intellectual property will be used as a major source, as a critical tool, for economic growth and economic development."

Keynote speakers at the Conference included Mr. Betsimifira Fredo, Minister of Information, Culture and Communication of Madagascar, Mr. H. Olympio, Minister of the Promotion of the State of Law and Democracy of Togo, Mr. Rubens Ricupero, Secretary General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mr. M. J. Denis Bélisle, Executive Director of the International Trade Center (ITC) and Professor Deepak Nayyar of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

The speakers underlined the need for developing countries, including the least developed, to seize the opportunities presented by the emergence of knowledge-based industries. In this respect, they stressed the importance of intellectual property as a critical factor in enabling least developed countries to compete in the global market place and to foster sustainable development. It is increasingly recognized that intellectual property creations and protection are key factors in attracting foreign investment and promoting the transfer of technology. The share of LDCs in worldwide investment is very small today. As a group, LDCs receive less than 1% of foreign direct investment. Knowledge, information and technology - the value of which is captured through the intellectual property system - lie at the heart of contemporary development. For LDCs to break away from their marginalization and participate more actively in global economic processes, it is imperative that they should be supported in developing their national intellectual property infrastructures as part of the process of reorienting their economies.

The Roundtable covered the following issues:

  • Information and Communication Technologies: The Internet offers unique challenges and opportunities for developing countries. While access to the Internet in the LDCs is still limited, to ensure that the global communications revolution is truly global, the needs and concerns of these countries need to be taken into consideration.
  • Global Intellectual Property Issues: The traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities has significant economic value in areas such as biotechnology, entertainment, and education as well as providing a basis for the preservation and conservation of biological diversity and the sharing of its benefits. For example, in the context of entertainment, the music industry has recently become one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. WIPO is exploring ways in which protection of creativity and innovation can be made available to holders of traditional knowledge by means of intellectual property.
  • The TRIPS Agreement, Technology Transfer, Foreign Direct Investment: Trade in intellectual property is increasingly influencing the growth and development of nations. The panel discussion addressed the implications of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS Agreement) for LDCs in the areas of enforcement mechanisms, technology transfer and foreign direct investment. The deadline for LDCs to comply with their obligations under the TRIPS Agreement is January1, 2006.

  • For further information, please contact the Media Relations & Public Affairs Section at WIPO:

    • Tel.: (+41 22) 338 81 61 or (+41 22) 338 95 47
    • Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10
    • E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int
https://www3.wipo.int/contact/en/area.jsp?area=publicinfo https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/ https://www.wipo.int/tools/en/disclaim.html https://www.wipo.int/en/web/privacy-policy/ https://www.wipo.int/en/web/accessibility/ https://www.wipo.int/tools/en/sitemap.html https://www3.wipo.int/newsletters/en/ https://www.wipo.int/en/web/podcasts/ https://www.wipo.int/news/en/