US stresses IPR protection essential to creating jobs, opening new markets
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Intellectual property rights should be encouraged and protected in Nigeria, the United State Mission has counselled, with a stress on how vital this is for any economy to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
US Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard made the point at the second edition of Intellectual Property (IP) Symposium on “Intellectual Property and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future,” the theme for World IP Day 2022.
The event was hosted by the US Mission in Lagos in collaboration with the American Business Council (ABC).
Leonard said the American government is committed to promoting public awareness of the importance of protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights (IPR) as a strategic resource for bolstering economic growth in Nigeria.
Strong intellectual property rights protection is essential to creating jobs and opening new markets for goods and services, she added.
She encouraged stakeholders in the IP space to shore up Nigeria’s IPR legal framework and lay a solid foundation for the youth to drive innovation and engender a more prosperous country.
“Nigerian youths are an incredible source of ingenuity and creativity. A strong system of intellectual property rights assures inventors, industrial designers, musicians, and artists alike that their creative content will be protected and valued,” Leonard said.
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Making IP infrastructure work
The symposium lasted two days.
It was led by the US Department of Justice’s INL-funded Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT)’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Attorney Adviser (ICHIP).
It brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s IPR protection framework, including entertainment and creative industry leaders.
It featured a plenary session, thematic panel discussions, and exhibitions with particular focus on Nigeria’s burgeoning entertainment and creative industries.
Participants discussed how intellectual property rights can support their goals, help transform ideas into reality, generate income, create jobs, and make a positive impact.
Leading industry and legal and academic speakers explored options for making Nigerian IP infrastructure work for innovative youths and creative industry pioneers discussed negotiating opportunities for the creative industry.
The symposium featured a spirited secondary school debate on the relevance of IPR protection for Nigeria’s better future, as well as thought provoking art performances that spotlighted creativity.
US economic diplomacy
America uses economic diplomacy overseas to encourage host-nation governments to establish predictable legal regimes to ensure intellectual property rights can be secured.
OPDAT’s ICHIP Attorney at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja serves as the sub-Saharan African regional hub for developing and administering technical and developmental assistance programs that enhance the capabilities of foreign justice institutions and law enforcement to prevent and combat IP offenses and cybercrimes.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria organised the first intellectual property symposium in 2019 on “Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals and Piracy.” The embassy-funded original film Fishbone premiered at the 2019 symposium.
The film, which raises awareness on the dangers of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, has been translated into French for IP stakeholders in Francophone African countries.
