As a lecturer at Mohammed V University in Morocco specializing in electronics and telecommunications, Professor Younes Karfa Bekali is constantly surrounded by new ideas and inventions – be it his own, or those of colleagues and students.
He began innovating himself during his doctoral thesis in physics, responding to problems in wider society and also taking cues from nature in his solutions. That was certainly the case with one of his most promising inventions, a safer alternative to existing electrical sockets. Professor Bekali explains: “I came up with the idea after reading Moroccan press reports about a catastrophic electrocution incident that caused the death of a small child and about fires frequently caused by phones or devices left to charge overnight.”
Determined to develop a safer socket, he found inspiration from a well-known African bird, the cape penduline tit. “Its fascinating nest is designed primarily to protect its eggs and chicks and is characterized by a carefully concealed entrance.” This led him to design a unique combination of pins, sockets and a rotary element to remove the risk of electrocution. The safety socket is also designed to be watertight and aesthetically pleasing for homes and businesses.
Sparking the inventive spirit to tackle patent drafting
In order for his invention to reach consumers and have a tangible impact on society, Professor Bekali was acutely aware of the importance of having a coherent intellectual property (IP) strategy. Fortunately, he had heard about the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP), a unique partnership between WIPO and national patent offices that pairs inventors with volunteer patent professionals, who provide free patent drafting and prosecution services. The IAP currently runs in nine countries (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore and South Africa), meaning that inventors from those countries have the opportunity to seek patents for their inventions with the support the program. Professor Bekali applied and became an IAP beneficiary.
“The IAP focal point in the Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office (OMPIC) put me in touch with volunteer experts who helped me draft my patent application and guided me through the filing process so that I could promote and protect my invention,” recalls Professor Bekali. “The program presented me with a real opportunity to develop my professional IP skills and to further spark my inventive spirit. It also enabled me to forge and enhance my IP proficiency as an inventor, particularly in patent drafting.” Professor Bekali takes this opportunity to credit the IAP volunteer patent attorney he was paired with, Abdelhaq Ammani, IP & Valorization Director at MAScIR-UM6P, whom he describes as a “key player” and “meticulous”. Abdelhaq Ammani helped him, and his co-inventor Abdallah Ayache, perform a prior art search to verify the novelty and inventive aspect of his invention.
Prototypes and design plaudits for safety socket at BIXPO
With the support of the IAP and OMPIC, Professor Bekali and Abdallah Ayache obtained a national patent in Morocco, and also filed an international patent application via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Their waterproof safety socket is now in the advanced development phase, with a prototype in operation and discussions currently underway with manufacturers, and Professor Bekali is actively exploring technology transfer options, which might involve either licensing or assigning the patent rights to a third party.
Thanks to the patent protection, Professor Bekali and Abdallah Ayache become eligible to enter competitions. After filing a patent application in Morocco in 2019, they won the prize for best invention presented by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) at the International invention Fair “BIXPO 2019” in the Republic of Korea.
Fostering creativity for a more sustainable future
Professor Bekali aspires to nurture the next generation of inventors. That's why he became an OMPIC-certified IP agent (specialized in technology). He also occupies the position of Director of the Innovation and Technology Transfer Center at the Rabat Faculty of Science (CITT-FSR).
“I am most grateful to WIPO for taking the initiative to implement the IAP, in keeping with its strategy to build a balanced and efficient global IP ecosystem to promote innovation and creativity for a better and more sustainable future,” he concluded.
