Students urged to deepen knowledge of intellectual property

DAR ES SALAAM: HIGHER education students have been encouraged to enhance their understanding of intellectual property to better safeguard their innovations and creative works.

This call to action was made by Dr Perfect Melkiori, the Intellectual Property Manager at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), during a stakeholders’ consultation meeting in Dar es Salaam on the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) treaty concerning the protection of industrial designs.

“Deep understanding of IP not only empowers students to contribute more meaningfully to their fields but also facilitates industry collaboration and opens opportunities for commercialising their work,” he stated.

Dr Melkiori emphasised that acquiring comprehensive knowledge of intellectual property is essential for students to protect their ideas effectively. This includes securing patents, copyrights and trademarks, which are crucial for academic, entrepreneurial and professional success.

Despite ongoing educational efforts about intellectual property protection, Dr Melkiori highlighted that many individuals still operate without following proper procedures or legal requirements.

“Protection remains limited in various creative fields. Many people remain uninformed and are vulnerable to exploitation,” he said.

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He stressed the importance of government agencies and relevant organisations in ensuring that creators are well-informed about the protection of their intellectual work.

In discussing the WIPO treaty, Chief Executive Officer of the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA), Godfrey Nyaisa said the WIPO Industrial Designs Law is designed to create an international system for the registration and protection of industrial designs across member countries.

Mr Nyaisa explained that the treaty allows applicants to file a single request for protection through WIPO and choose multiple countries that have ratified the treaty, thus broadening protection and reducing both costs and complexities.

“The new system is set to simplify the process of securing international protection for designs, making it more efficient for designers seeking global recognition,” Nyaisa said.

This streamlined approach is expected to make the protection of industrial designs more accessible and less cumbersome for creators worldwide.