World Intellectual Property Day Marked

The 26th of April, every year, is observed across the globe as World Intellectual Property (WIP) Day.

The objective of WIP Day is to create awareness about innovation and creativity by individuals, and encourage others to also seek protection and document their works.

This year's WIP Day took place on the theme: 'Innovation - Improving lives'.

In an address to commemorate the Day in Accra, yesterday, a Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Mr Godfred Odame, underscored the importance of Intellectual Property which, he said, affected Agriculture, Education, Communication and Health as the basic needs of every country.

To that effect, and in line with its agenda for development, Mr Odame said, government would encourage creative and innovative minds for the growth of the economy, adding that the theme for this year's WIP Day resonated with government's agenda and would contribute to exploring how innovation was making lives healthier and comfortable.

He charged institutions to create visibility for their innovations so that more people would also be encouraged to do same for the growth of the economy.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, said it was his Ministry's aim to establish technology incubators, machines foundries, technology transfer centers and technology parks to ensure the Ghanaian inventor had a one-stop-shop for developing his or her ideas and had access to high-technology to build prototypes and link up with industries.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, therefore, pledged the Ministry's commitment to working with all stakeholders in building a national system of innovation.

In a statement, the Acting Registrar-General, Mrs Jemima Oware, expressed concern about the fact that although the Department received application figures for Industrial Property Rights, most of the applicants were foreigners, adding that most of the inventions and other protectable Industrial Properties being generated by Researchers, the Academia and Individuals were falling into the public domain.

Mrs Oware gave the assurance that her Department would partner and assist inventors achieve their goals of protecting their inventions and making them known.

Source: ISD (Chantal Aidoo & Aliyah Bayali)

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