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HOW INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PROMOTES SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES BY J N KABARE SENIOR PATENT EXAMINER, ARIPO THE 10th COMESA BUSINESS DIALOGUE ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA 25 TO 26 MARCH, 2015 Overview • Introduction to ARIPO • Old Vs New Economy • Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and their use to promote SMEs • Intellectual Property (IP) Audit • Other mechanisms of Exploiting IP • Challenges Facing SMEs With Respect to IPRs • Measures Taken by ARIPO To Address The Challenges About ARIPO ARIPO: African Regional Intellectual Property Organization Established: December 9, 1976 (as ESARIPO) Instrument of creation: Lusaka Agreement (in Zambia) Headquarters: Harare, Zimbabwe Member States (19): Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, The Gambia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe MEMBERSHIP ARIPO Market: Population & GDP Population Nr (millions) 2,004 1,791 25, 366 43,178 2,052 4,190 15,906 25,203 2,259 11,458 0,188 GDP (2012) Growth rate (Billion USD) (%) 3,7 14.411 6,3 0,917 7,9 40,711 4,6 40,697 4,0 2,443 11,3 1,492 1,8 5,653 7,5 14,605 5,0 12,807 8,0 7,103 6,5 0,261 5,979 10,195 37,195 1231 50,4 15,2 2,6 -4,4 -1,5 6,9 4,337 1,306 51,453 3,861 28,249 Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe 36,346 14,075 13,724 4,4 7,3 4,4 21736 21,490 9,802 Total 226.786 6,25% (Aver.) 267,759.4 USA: 14.99 trillion USD Country China: 7.318 trillion USD Botswana Gambia Ghana Kenya Lesotho Liberia Malawi Mozambique Namibia Rwanda Sao Tome & Principe Sierra Leone Somalia Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Switzerland: 659.3 billion USD Nigeria: 244 Billion USD South Africa: 408.2 Billion USD ARIPO Member States Population: 226.786 GDP: 273 Billion USD GDP growth rate: 5.3% ARIPO Mandate Patents and Utility Models Industrial Designs Harare Protocol (1982) Harare Protocol (1982) Copyright Access and Benefit Sharing Council Min (2002) Draft Regional Framework Marks Banjul Protocol (1993) Geographical Indications Draft Regional Framework National Frameworks TK and Expressions Folklore Swakopmund Protocol (2010) Plant Variety Protection Draft Regional Framework Old v New Economy (1) • Industrial economy – focus on physical goods. Dependent on natural resources (finite) • New economy – greater reliance on know-how, knowledge, human creativity and innovation (infinite) – 1950 knowledge component in manufactured goods 20%, 1990s 70%, 2000s *? Old v New Economy (2) • In 1998 intangible assets constituted 80% of value of Fortune 500 companies. • “It is estimated that by 2007, as much as 90% of the value of the world’s top 2000 enterprises will consist of intellectual property” • Source: Building and Enforcing Intellectual Property Value, An International Guide for the Boardroom 2003 Price WaterhouseCoopers Old v New Economy (3) • Globalization and trade liberalization has made it crucial for SMEs to become internationally competitive even when competing exclusively in domestic markets • Application of knowledge, creativity and innovation key in competitiveness Competitiveness of SMEs • To be competitive SMEs need to constantly improve their efficiency, reduce production costs and enhance the reputation of their products and services by: • Investing in research and development • Acquiring new technology • Improving management practices • Developing creative and appealing products and designs • Effectively marketing their products and services The Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) System • Provides SMEs exclusivity over the exploitation of their innovative products and services, creative designs and brands • Thus creating an appropriate incentive for investing in improving their competitiveness • Ensures a competitive market place, honest trade practices and overall national development PROTECTION THROUGH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Patents Integrated Circuits Topographies Trademarks Industrial Designs Traditional Knowledge IPRs Plant Varieties Geographical indications Trade Secrets Copyright Intellectual Property Rights • Innovative products or processes • Patents or utility models • Cultural artistic and literary works • Copyright and related rights • Creative designs • Industrial design rights • Distinctive signs • Trademark • Microchips • Denominations of goods attributable to a geographical origin • Layout-designs or integrated circuits • Geographical indications • Confidential business information • Trade secrets Intangible to Tangible • By providing such protection the IP system gives the owner of those intangibles a right of exclusivity, the right to prevent others from using them • Bringing intangible rights closer to tangible property Use of Trademarks (1) • An Italian businessman buys unmarked t-shirts from manufacturers of generic clothing • In a garage in the periphery of Rome, he attaches his trademark (Pickwick®, which has a picture of a rebellious-looking teenager) and begins to sell them to retail stores Case Study on Trademarks (2) • Today the Pickwick® trademark is perceived by Italian teenagers as a synonym of style and quality • Pickwick® has began to export its products across the globe • Its trademark is its most valuable asset Use of Industrial Designs Use of geographical Indications • Branded vanilla, Branded Coffee and Branded honey 18 Use of Trade Secret – Coca Cola • Coca Cola formula said to be the best kept secret • Formula kept in a bank vault • Can only be opened by a resolution of the company Board of Directors • Only a few people know the secret at any given time, their identities are unknown, they cannot travel together VALUE OF SOME TOP GLOBAL BRANDS BRAND VALUE (billions USD) 119 107 82 72 61 45,48 45,46 42,3 42,2 VALUE OF KENYA BRANDS One product many IPR (1) • Patent for the fountain pen that could store ink • Utility Model for the grip and pippette for injection of ink • Industrial Design: smart design with the grip in the shape of an arrow • Trademark: provided on the product and the packaging to distinguish it from other pens Source: Japanese Patent Office One product many IPR • Invention of CD player protected by patent • Brand on CD player protected by trademark • Design of CD player protected by industrial design • Music played on CD player protected by copyright (2) IP Policy • Beyond exclusivity – IP rights are not only about exclusivity and the right to prevent others from using and exploiting them • They are assets as important or even more important than physical assets (buildings, machinery) • Like any asset they must be identified, protected, maintained, managed, exploited and enforced IP Audit for SMEs • Identify the IP assets of a company • Have rights been acquired for them • Are they been maintained • Are they exploited optimally • Is there any redundant IP • Is there any infringement of third party rights Exploiting IP Assets (1) • Sale or License • Joint ventures and strategic alliances • Business format franchising • Merchandising Exploiting IP Assets (2) • Better bargaining position in licensing-in • Defensive patenting, publication and • Collateral for finance Licensing Example • The inventor of the “can opening system” licensed the system to Coca-Cola at 1/10 of a penny per can. During the period of validity of the patent, the inventor obtained 148,000 UK pounds a day on royalties Franchising Examples Merchandising Examples Character merchandising Personality Merchandising Challenges facing SMEs with respect to Use of IPRs • Enterprises worldwide and particularly in Africa largely under-utilize the intellectual property system due to: • Perceived lack of relevance of the IP system • Perceived high costs and complexity of IP system • Limited awareness of the IP system and its usefulness • Lack of qualified human resources to use the IP system Measures Taken By ARIPO to Address Challenges facing SMEs (1) • Put up a simplified IPRs filing and protection system • Upgraded ICT infrastructure for ARIPO and member states to enable on-line filing, processing and management of IPRs • Awareness-raising through seminars and workshops targeting SMEs Measures Taken By ARIPO to Address the Challenges facing SMEs (2) • Promotion, development and harmonization of IPRs in the member states • Provision of Technological Information Services through searches and publication(e.g. the ARIPO Journal) • Capacity building and training (offer a Masters Degree in Intellectual Property) [email protected]