There is no doubt that counterfeit goods are thriving in Africa as average incomes across the continent continue to increase, thereby attracting expansion prospects from global brands who aim to generate additional revenue streams by increasing their market shares in this historically neglected geographical area.
This low level of intellectual property (IP) awareness in Africa, including the dismally low level of IP registrations from African countries themselves, is a major concern for entities such as the African Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO).
According to the director general of ARIPO, Bemanya Twebaze, IP is a business that can quickly be converted into knowledge and wealth. Speaking at Aripo’s first-ever communication training on its regional intellectual property rights system, which took place last week in Harare, Zimbabwe, Twebaze emphasised the importance of IP, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that in most cases constitute up to 90% of African economies. While welcoming over 80 participants from across the continent, Twebaze said 60% of African SMEs with IP protection prosper to increase their overall revenue. “As will be demonstrated in this training, IP can be leveraged as a tool to facilitate Africa’s development. This is made possible by providing incentives to inventors and creators, and facilitating the disclosure of knowledge and the transfer of technology and know-how,” Twebaze added.
“In Africa, IP awareness can transform lives by helping reduce poverty, creating employment, and accelerating economic growth. For this reason, we are intentionally conducting this training to ensure that, ultimately, we are all well-versed with the mandate of ARIPO, as well as the IP system and its potential benefits,” Twebaze stated.
Participating countries at the inaugural training at ARIPO’s regional headquarters in Harare included members of the national IP offices, government communicators and the media from Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
IP rights refer to a wide range of assets, such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, plant varieties or geographical indications. From a company brand to furniture design, all these products are protected by intellectual property legislation. According to experts, a strong intellectual property environment can boost the participation of African countries in the global economy. It will also stimulate innovation and competitiveness in the private sector with sound national IP rights systems described as the backbone of innovative countries, thus favouring economic growth.
ARIPO embarked on communication training to share the technical side of IP and how to demystify it, stating the general public needs to understand the importance and impact of intellectual property in their daily lives. The training was conducted in conjunction with the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Project in Africa (AfrIPI), which aims to support the European Union (EU) in creating, administering, utilising, protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights across Africa. AfrIPI aligns with international and European best practices and supports the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The overall objective of the AfrIPI project is to facilitate intra-African trade and African and European investment.
The AfrIPI project runs from February 2020 to February 2025, covers 54 African countries and was allocated a budget of EUR 17 million (about N$300 million).
“Additionally, there is a need for government communicators and the media to be equipped
to effectively communicate the ARIPO Regional Intellectual Property Rights System and the positive effects of the AfrIPI project to their audiences, which can be used for awareness creation at a national, regional and global level. Many people are unaware and misinformed about intellectual property. For example, Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the creative sector are losing out on the benefits of intellectual property,” read a statement from ARIPO.
“Communication plays a significant role in building respect and awareness of intellectual property rights. Without effective communication, the business sector, including SMEs, innovation hubs and Research & Development institutions, will not readily be aware of intellectual property rights and how these rights can benefit their businesses and sustainably sustain their national economies. At AfrIPI, we are committed to helping the African communication community to make the most of IP promotion,” said Aida Galindo, AfrIPI project leader.
AfrIPI aims to boost the African economy and foster trade between Europe and Africa.
“Counterfeit products, which don’t comply with intellectual property rules, can threaten consumers’ health and, in some cases, lives. Serious dangers have been linked to counterfeit products ingested by consumers (food, drink, medicines) or put directly on the skin (cosmetics, fragrances). People in the creative sector, such as artists and designers, are also affected by infringers, who claim ownership of their work that is not protected, for instance,” Galindo added.
The ARIPO training included reviewing IP rights, including patents, trademarks, copyright and related rights, utility models, industrial designs, geographical indications, plant varieties and trade secrets, and how to communicate these to the public.
The training also covered ARIPO’s protocols and their respective scopes.
Moreover, two seasoned trainers in the field of communication from Ghana and Uganda shared best practices on how to effectively communicate IP. Meanwhile, spokesperson at the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) Ockert Jansen, who also attended the training, emphasised that IP remains a key and critical contributor towards the Namibian economy.
“Businesses should realise that just by virtue of existing, trading and building goodwill with their brands, they are building their IP assets known as trademarks,” said Jansen.
He further underscored that business owners, corporates and product developers should not allow their businesses and/or products to grow without protecting the IP that is attached to their brands.
“It is important to own your mark and protect your brand,” said Jansen.