Govt to strengthen intellectual property system

THE government is reviewing the intellectual property (IP) system to strengthen the capacity of individuals and institutions to profit from their innovation and creativity in their line of business.
The current arrangement does not provide incentive for individuals and organisations to come up with innovative and creative ideas since there is no effective regulatory framework in place to check the increasing disregard for IP rights.
Consequently, the government, under its Trade Sector Support Programme in partnership with the Swiss government and the World intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), has initiated measures to strengthen the existing infrastructure in the sector.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, announced this in Accra yesterday at the opening of a two-day colloquium on intellectual property rights organised for the judiciary. He said the government had put in place strong protective systems for the promotion of economic growth, one of which he mentioned as the strengthening of IP rights in Ghana.
The colloquium was jointly organised by the WIPO, the Government of Ghana and the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) under the Judicial Service of Ghana on the theme: “Building respect for intellectual property rights”.
Mr Barton-Odro, in his keynote address, said in an increasingly knowledge-driven economy, IP was a key consideration in day-to-day business decisions and that the continued creation of new designs and products on the market was as a result of continued human innovation and creativity.
The colloquium provided a suitable platform for members of the bench to exchange ideas and share experiences on matters relating to IP rights and enforcement.
Mr Barton-Odro explained that taking full advantage of the IP system could enable companies and individuals to profit from their innovative capacity and creativity, encourage further innovation and underscored the need for Ghana to examine the use of IP tools to advance her development strategies.
He stated that when IP rights were enforced, an aggrieved party or an owner of IP right could institute an action in court for redress, noting that with such an enforcement, companies could use their IP assets to explore business opportunities to their strategic advantage.
The deputy minister, who enumerated the benefits of IP system to include the avoidance of wasteful investment, obtaining access to new markets and the creation of a corporate identity through a trademark and branding strategy, commended the WIPO for its contribution towards the strengthening of Ghana’s IP infrastructure and pledged the commitment of the ministry to remain an ardent supporter and promoter of the IP system for the benefit of all.
A Supreme Court Judge, Mr Justice Sulley Gbadegbe, who represented the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood, called on the participants, who were drawn from various parts of the country, to use the opportunity to brainstorm the many aspects of the challenges that confronted the IP rights system with particular reference to its enforcement.
He expressed gratitude to the WIPO for promptly responding to the request from the judiciary to assist in enhancing the human resource capacity and skills in the area of enforcement of IP rights in Ghana.