Simbarashe Makahamadze shares his top recommendations on Intellectual Property for World Intellectual Property Day
Protecting Intellectual Property (IP) in Africa is challenging, especially with the limited knowledge that SMEs have around IP issues. In this edition, Simbarashe Makahamadze recommends SME-oriented articles to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day, in line with the theme ‘Taking your ideas to market’.
The role of IP and the need for SMEs to have a deeper understanding of IP issues cannot be overemphasised.
Simbarashe has over 10 years of Intellectual Property Management and strategy experience covering Southern Africa and the Middle East. He advises clients on all aspects of intellectual property protection and management including, but not limited to, trademark and patent filing strategies, trademark/brand selection, IP filing and prosecution, IP strategy, IP commercialisation, institutional IP policy development and IP due diligence for transactional purposes.
Follow his tweets @SMakahamadze
Enjoy!
Boosting business competitiveness in Africa with IP and innovation
By McLean Sibanda, Managing Director: Bigen Global Limited, Mauritius, South Africa.
Professor Tom Peter Migun Ogada: Executive Director, African Centre for Technology Studies and Chairman of the Kenyan National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya
This article looks at the projected population growth for Africa by 2050 and the opportunities and challenges that come with that growth. Its main thrust is on how Africa can boost its business competitiveness with IP and innovation taking advantage of the young population and the vast contribution of SMEs to the African economy. This paper also advises policymakers to work towards policies that increase industrialization, enhance manufacturing capabilities and productivity, and improve business competitiveness.
Image credit: WIPO
Practical IP considerations for SMEs on their journey to market
By Audrey Yap, President, Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), Singapore
This article focuses on encouraging more understanding and greater use of IP by SMEs. It also highlights the need to work towards convincing the global SME community that IP rights are central to their business interests. While SMEs are creative and innovative, many of them (especially in Africa) forget to think about building a portfolio of IP rights to protect the very ideas that help them generate revenue and wealth.
IP protection: Building value and growth for small businesses
By Julian Crump, President of the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI)
This article looks deeper into the value that SMEs can gain from protecting their IP assets. Evidence that SMEs that have at least one IP right are 21 percent more likely to experience growth is also shared from a 2019 EPO/EUIPO study.
Image credit: WIPO
AfricaIP Guide
By AllThingsIP Africa
The AllThingsIP Africa platform has SMEs covered through the AfricaIP Guide. From country specific requirements to a one-stop marketplace for all things IP in Africa at competitive all-inclusive prices with direct access to IP attorneys and Agents in over 37 jurisdictions and still counting.
Image Credit: AfricaIP Guide
Why Trade Matters for African Development
By David Luke (2020)
The blog highlights the challenges faced in informal cross border trade in Africa: (i) lower value transactions in both goods and services, (ii) high trade costs (iii) associated with high rates of poverty.
Image credit: LSE