In an Interview with Syrian Newspaper, Abu-Ghazaleh Speaks about IP and Investment

DAMASCUS - In an interview with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), vice-chair of the UN Global Compact Board, and chairman of the Afro-Asian Knowledge-Based Society Initiative, the Syrian Baladna newspaper highlighted Abu-Ghazaleh’s ongoing appeal for more Intellectual Property (IP) protection.

The newspaper stated “As the owner of the largest IP company in the world, Abu-Ghazaleh revealed the secret behind his concern about the need to protect Intellectual Property since such protection is required to encourage creativity, develop a strong economy, and to transfer a country from a phase of receiving technology to that of developing it and inventing it.”

“In the technically advanced world, the countries call for more strict IP enforcement locally, because this is the most stringent system in Western nations that encourages inventors to develop and invest,” Abu-Ghazaleh told Baladna.

According to Abu-Ghazaleh, the concept of IP has grown since 1971 over the years, and all Arab countries have laws and legislations that are equivalent to global laws and legislations in addition to those administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which is responsible for property agreements.

Answering a question about the purpose behind the IP programs the organization develops, Abu-Ghazaleh underscored that the objective is training all segments of society such as lawyers, judges or officials in companies and governmental sectors.

“The aim is developing the concept of IP, and encouraging the Arab citizens to invest in progress and innovation, such that the investors guarantee that they can utilize their investments commercially. So someone cannot spend 10 million dollars for example to develop a certain invention, if there is somebody who will steal it,” he elaborated.

In respect of the development of the Syrian laws, Abu-Ghazaleh stated that the Syrian laws are compatible with international regulations.

“Through the Syrian judiciary, we were able to acquire our rights which affirms the fact that the legislative and legal infrastructure protects all right holders. We must realize that there is nothing called ‘law of the jungle’ except in Israel, according to the testimony of the American negotiator,” he said.

During the interview, Abu-Ghazaleh also tackled the economic crisis and economic globalization.