rights
23 January 2009
South Africa is to receive financial and technical support on intellectual
property from Japan in its bid to effectively protect intellectual property in
the country.
Intellectual property rights (IPR) experts from around the globe will meet
in Pretoria next week for a five day workshop, as a test case for the rolling
out of a three year training project on IPR.
This could assist with the implementation of the recently enacted IPR for
Publicly Financed Research and Development Act of 2008. The law clarifies
obligations related to the ownership of intellectual property rights in the
country, which has been a tricky issue for a very long time.
The workshop follows Japan's proposal to promote trade and investment
between Asia and Africa during the Tokyo International Conference on African
Development held in 2004. The two countries have since identified indigenous
knowledge protection, innovation, intellectual property protection and
controlling counterfeits as training needs.
Depending on the evaluation of the three year IPR training project, the
bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Japan may see the exercise
extended to other countries in Africa.
This could lead to the establishment of a training institute for regional
collaboration, with the overall goal being to improve the creation, protection
and use of IPR.
The aim is to improve the understanding of IP laws at all levels of
government, eventually establishing an IP policy and legislation office under
one roof and an increased number of IP experts in government and
institutions.
Co-hosted by the Department of Science and Technology, the Japan
International Cooperation Agency and the World Intellectual Property
Organisation, the workshop will be held at Burgers Park Hotel, Pretoria.
All media are invited to the opening session on 26 January 2009
Event details are as follows:
Date: 26 January 2009
Venue: Burgers Park, Van der Walt Street, Pretoria
Time: 10:00 to 12:00
RSVPs:
Zama Mthethwa
Tel: 012 843 6781
Cell: 082 808 3956
E-mail: Zama.Mthethwa@dst.gov.za
For more information contact:
Shumikazi Rodolo
Tel: 012 843 6554
Cell: 082 804 8254
E-mail: shumikazi.rodolo@dst.gov.za.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
23 January 2009
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za/)
