Trade, Industry and Competition on Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialisation colloquium

Through a coordinated effort of recognising Intellectual Property as a strategic asset, not just a legal right, we can build a more inclusive, innovative and prosperous society, and can also lead to business growth and development. This is according to the Executive Manager at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), Ms Nomonde Maimela. Maimela was speaking at the Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialisation colloquium hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in partnership with the CIPC in Pretoria today.

The two-day colloquium, which started today and will end tomorrow, is held under the theme Driving Innovation and Positioning Intellectual Property Commercialisation for a Better and Inclusive South Africa.

According to Maimela, building a more inclusive, innovative and prosperous society through IP requires a multi-pronged approach, fostering a culture of innovation and providing support for local entrepreneurs.

“We have an Inventor Assistance Programme that assists under-resourced inventors to access the IP services. We are collaborating with South Africa IP Law firms for Pro Bono Patent Attorney services, ensuring equitable access to IP rights and aligning IP policies with the country’s social and economic objectives. Through these efforts, we can harness the full potential of intellectual property to create sustainable and inclusive economy,” added Maimela.

“South Africa has undergone significant legislative reforms in recent years to align its IP regime with global standards and foster innovation. Reforms to allow for digital filling of trademark applications, making the process more efficient and in line with the international practices were introduced,” said Maimela.

“The Amended Trade Act also provided for a stronger protection of well-known trademarks, allowing owners of famous marks to prevent others from registering confusingly similar marks that could mislead the public. We are also in the process of amending the Design Act. This will bring South Africa’s design protection systems in line with international norms, encouraging global cooperation and easing the process for designers to protect their work globally,” stated Maimela.

According to Maimela, South Africa’s international cooperation must aim to make IP a toll to achieve sustainable development with the country, hence the continuous legislative reforms are important.

Whilst focusing on intellectual property protection, Maimela said there was a need for a balance between competition policy and intellectual property rights. Additionally, she said South Africa’s competition policy has evolved to regulate the intersection between IP rights and market competition. The competition authorities have become more active in investigating the abuse of IP rights that may harm competition.

“We are cognizant of the fact that, in order to harness IP for economic development, it is critical to create a robust culture of innovation across all sectors of society, including business, academia, and government,” said Maimela.

In conclusion, Maimela said understanding the value of IP, patents, trademarks, copyrights and designs can help businesses and creators realize how they can use IP to protect their ideas, products, and innovation.

The Acting Chief Director of Innovation and Technology at the dtic, Ms Takalani Ramuthaga, noted that countries that do not innovate, do not grow. She said that there is a direct correlation between innovation and business growth, because that’s where new knowledge, new products and services and the creation of new industries takes place.

“In a competitive, global world that we live in, there is a need for innovation. It is for this reason that, as government, we take our role of enabling innovation and promotion of IP protection very seriously. However, we can’t just enable innovation as government, we have to ensure that when citizens of this country innovate we protect their intellectual property,” said Ramuthaga.

The Head of the IP Commercialisation Section at the World Intellectual Property, Ms Allison Mages noted that people always think about IP as a tool to enhance the competitive edge.

“IP helps you build revenue streams and reputation, because with the IP, we know who you are, we know what you do, and so it shapes that credibility in the marketplace. And as such, it can be a good piece of information for how we can source partners and be able to access other markets,” said Mages.

“IP is key for the purposes of commercialisation, it’s about providing access to finance, which is becoming more and more of a reality over time, and attracting investors. Because what investors really want to know is that what you’ve created is something that they can benefit from if they finance, until they put investment into your venture, and intellectual property is a tool,” stated Mages.

Enquiries
Yamkela Fanisi – Ministerial Spokesperson
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
E-mail: YFanisi@thedtic.gov.za 
Cell: 076 034 6551

Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Cell: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za 

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