SA to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day in Lim

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) in partnership with the Office of the Premier and other stakeholders are expected to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day at a venue in the city from Tuesday until Thursday.
Intellectual Property Day is an annual event that is celebrated worldwide and this year’s theme is Powering Change: Women in Innovation and Creativity.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies reportedly said the objective of the day is to recognise human creativity and acknowledge the socio-economic importance of intellectual property.
The celebration is targeted at the general public, youth, women, small and medium businesses, government departments involved in the field of intellectual property (IP) and the creative industry. Davies said the gathering offers them an opportunity to highlight the work that is done by government with regards to IP.
“Intellectual property has been fundamental to South Africa’s economic growth, and even more so, as we build a future economy that is driven by knowledge and innovation. We have spent the past decade building a robust ecosystem in which businesses can use IP to create value from their technology, brands and content.
The celebration is also aimed at promoting the protection of intellectual property and creating awareness about intellectual property rights,” he stated.
The stakeholders who are expected to be part of the celebration include the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, National Intellectual Property Management Office, Limpopo Economic Development Agency, Technology Innovation Agency, Africa Bio, University of Limpopo and University of Venda.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za