Trademark Application Help for Developing Countries
Intellectual Property Protection, Trademark Application
A project funded by the Geneva International Academic Network (GIAN) and led by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), makes it simpler for medical researchers in developing countries to patent or trademark their research.
The three year project, which started in 2004, has developed a model to empower research institutes in developing countries in their attempt to manage their intellectual property (IP) assets. The project brought together 11 partner institutions from Switzerland, Columbia and Central Africa. Together, these institutions worked on enhancing their capacities to patent their research, and thus strengthen their positions in the international medical field. Patents and trademarks often mean larger revenues, revenues that are very important for the development of medical research.
Researchers at the partner institutions from Columbia, Switzerland and Central Africa prepared trainings and classes on trademark application procedures and patent handling. Two “IP-hubs” were created in Columbia and Central Africa, which will boost the local knowledge of the handling of Intellectual Property of medical research. The IP hubs use local researchers, lawyers and managers to support the local research and development (R&D) networks. The support of the R&D networks and research institutions started in January 2007. The IP Hubs promise to become highly successful in empowering local researchers in developing countries with regard to protecting their trademarks and patents.
Mr. Randall Harbour, Executive Secretary of the GIAN, said, “It is to be expected that in the middle and long-term the implementation of the WIPO-GIAN model by developing countries will facilitate local development, production and distribution of medicines based on both conventional approaches and traditional medicine. In addition to supporting researchers from developing countries with patent applications, the “IP Hubs” can assist them in establishing well thought-out and fair legal frameworks with research institutions in industrialized countries.”
The Project is called: “Research Networks and Intellectual Property: A Model for Supporting Developing Country Researchers in Creating, Owning and Exploiting Health Research Results”.
Read the full story at: www.wipo.int
Popularity: 68% [?]
Trademark @ September 26, 2007