Leda hosts World Intellectual Property Day celebrations

Limpopo Economic Development Agency (Leda) hosted the launch of the World Intellectual Property Day celebrations in the province at Sun Meropa last Tuesday evening.
The event was attended by representatives from the national departments of Trade and Industry (the dti) and Science and Technology (DST) and the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), as well as the Office of the Premier, the Technology Innovation Agency (Tia) and the National Intellectual Property Office (Nipmo).
Executive of Strategy at CIPC, Lungile Dukuona explained the purpose of the day and said that the 18th World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated under the theme ‘Powering Change: Women in innovation and creativity’. The day was established to raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life and to celebrate creativity and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe,” Dukuona said.
According to Dukuona, the World Intellectual Property Day celebrations offer the country and its citizens a unique opportunity to show the importance of intellectual property and how it contributes to the flourishing music and art as well as driving the technological innovation which continues to shape people’s daily lives.
“It is also undisputable that innovation has a significant impact on the economic growth and development of any country especially in the developing world. This can only be realised if intellectual property is coordinated and managed strategically to harness the opportunities it presents to the country’s growth and development,” Dukuona said and added that South Africa is ranked 57th on the 2017 Global Innovation Index out of 127 countries which is commendable. “But with more coordination, education and harnessing of innovation we can achieve better,” he remarked.
The launch was followed by a road show at Seshego Mall last Wednesday and an exhibition with the theme ‘Let’s talk IP’ that took place at Bolivia Estate last Thursday.

Story and photos: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com