National Intellectual Property Strategies, Some Examples and Their Significance

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• National Intellectual Property Strategies, Some
  Examples and Their Significance
• June, 2005
• Maputo, Mozambique

IP Strategy Workshop
WIPO Intellectual Property and New Technologies
Division
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National IP Strategies

• National IP strategies are policy documents on IP
  developed by governments.
• The documents outline the IP types, their common
  stakeholders and how to grant legal protection to
  their owners.

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National IP Strategies

• The documents state the key departments and
  institutions including RDs involved with
  innovations and any collaborations.
• Their objective is to facilitate economic
  prosperity for the IP rights holders by enabling
  efficient exploitation of their IP assets.

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Stakeholders commonly involved in developing IP
Strategies

• The National IP Offices
• The RD Institutions
• Universities and Polytechnics
• Ministries of Trade and Industry
• Chambers of Commerce
• Inventors Associations
• Ministry of Legal Affairs,
• Legal Practitioners, accountants, etc.

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WIPO as Collaborator in IPStrategy Development

• WIPO offers guidance and assistance
• when approached by any member states to develop
  IP Strategies
• Some of the countries which have received such
  assistance from WIPO include Romania, Ethiopia,
  Barbados, Colombia.

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The National IP Strategies in WIPO IP Asset
Database

• Summaries of fourteen National IP Strategies are
  available in the WIPO IP Strategies Database
• Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Hungary,
  Philippines, Romania, South Africa, the United
  Kingdom, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Denmark,
  Ethiopia and The European Union.

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Examples of IP Strategies and their Main Features

• 1. South Africa White Paper On Science and
  Technology, 1996.
• Published by the Department Of Arts, Culture,
  Science and Technology, in 2001.
• Outlines policy framework for innovation
  promotion
• Aims at production, assimilation and exploitation
  of novelty in economic sphere

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Backing Australias Ability--An Innovation
Action Plan for the Future2001, launched May,
2004

• Aims at strengthening Australias ability to
  generate ideas, undertake research, and to
  accelerate their commercial exploitation.
• Developing and retaining Australian skilled human
  reservoir.
• Overseen by a Science and Innovation Ministerial
  Council chaired by the Prime Minister, advised by
  a Chief Scientist

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3. Canada Science and Technology for the New
Century A Federal Strategy, 1966, launched
2002

• 10 year innovation strategy, objectives are
• Improving performance in research and development
  by responding to economic challenges and
  opportunities
• Promoting commercial application of knowledge
• Attracting foreign direct investment
• Stresses importance of IP strategy for publicly
  funded projects in universities

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4. China The Premiers March 2003 Annual
Congress Report Outlines the Strategy

• Emphasizes
• National rejuvenation through science,
  technology, education and sustainable
  development,
• Highlights role of IP to harness national brands,
  to increase international competitiveness,
• Underlines role of RD, IP Asset Protection and
  use to enhance productivity and sustainable
  development.

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China links IP with technological achievements

• Feb. 2005 announcement that Ministry of
  Information Industry will require patenting as a
  pre-condition to technological evaluation and
  support
• Lack of self-developed technology invariably
  puts domestic users in an embarassing position.

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5. Ethiopia Strategic Plan 1996-1998 E.C

• Produced by the IP Office with the collaboration
  of the Judiciary, Chamber of Commerce, Customs,
  Police, the Ministries of Science and Technology,
  Education, Culture and Justice
• Aims at promoting, creation, protection, and
  commercialization of IP
• Identifies key areas of competitive advantage
• Identifies challenges
• Aims at creating an environment that favors IP
  asset development by nationals

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6. Industrial Policy in Denmark Industrial
Property Rights, 2000

• Emphasizes need for faster and cheaper means for
  protecting inventions, trademarks and industrial
  designs, and
• For legal protection for intellectual property to
  be developed along with technology and a
  knowledge based economy
• Calls on the Danish companies to be aware of and
  exploit IP system
• Promotes more reliable valuation methods
• www.innovationskraft.dk

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7. The European Union Innovation Policy, 2000 and
2003

• The First Action Plan for Innovation in Europe
  Innovation for Growth And Employment
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/innovation
• Addresses need for RD expenditure

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8. Japan Strategic Program for the Creation,
Protection and Exploitation of IP, 2003

• Sets out the need to enhance GDP and export by
• increasing enterprise revenues on IP-based
  exports
• Seeks to stimulate human capital development
• Plans to turn information and knowledge into
  significant national wealth
• Highly detailed and systematic.

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The Underlying Features Of the IP Strategies

• All are outcome of nationally coordinated and
  formulated study or audit with inputs from major
  IP stakeholders
• All stress creation, ownership, exploitation of
  IP assets
• All focus on the value of investment in education
  and RD to compete and prosper in the current
  knowledge- based economy
• All suggest need for technology ownership and
  local development, as complement to technology
  transfer
• All seek to facilitate innovation, technology
  transfer and economic growth.