Arab Countries Celebrate World IP Day

The Arab Region among other countries are celebrating today the World Intellectual Property (IP) Day, the date on which the Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) originally entered into force in 1970. According to WIPO, here are some of the events and activities organized to commemorate this occasion in the Arab states.

Algeria

The National Copyright Office (ONDA in French) is organizing a national seminar on the theme of protection of computer programs, April 26 -27.

The participants include the Agence Européenne de programmes, Microsoft Algeria, the Business Software Alliance and also universities, magistrates and lawyers. It is for the benefit of all institutions (magistrature, customs services, national security, staff of the Ministry of Commerce etc.) involved in the protection of Intellectual Property (IP).

Morocco

The Moroccan Copyright Office (BMDA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Communication and the Ministry of Justice, has organized the deployment of a caravan, in the context of a seminar on IP to last a day and a half in Rabat.

The seminar is particularly for the benefit of magistrates, prosecutors and lawyers, with the main theme, “Copyright and related rights: practices, measures and procedures of protection.” The aim of the seminar is to emphasize the application of and respect for copyright and related rights and will involve evaluation of practical cases and case law, on the basis of judgments’ of the competent tribunals, to promote improved protection and a better application of law.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

To celebrate the Day, King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (MAWHIBA) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have organized a number of activities on the theme "Green Innovation."

These activities are:

• a number of seminars about IP;
• design and printing of posters and charts about the Day and their display in schools and shopping malls;
• distribution of materials about IP in the community, such as brochures, leaflets and posters;
• mass dispatch of E-mails and SMS to market the event;
• publication of a number of articles in the media, discussing IP in general and its effect on business.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai Customs

The Dubai Customs authorities have organized a celebration of the Day with a view to supporting legitimate trade. This follows up on a Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy last year, as well as on a large number of awareness campaigns for the benefit of government departments, regulatory agencies, business sectors and schools.

Ministry of Economy

The Ministry of Economy has organized a celebration of the Day by arranging a Workshop on the system of IPRs and the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in supporting young business leaders, other small and medium-sized enterprises and legitimate trade.

This was followed by a large number of awareness campaigns for the benefit of government departments, regulatory agencies, business sectors and universities.

Yemen

To celebrate the Day, the Trust Intellectual Property Company, under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, is organizing a first IP Forum in the Mövenpick Hotel, Sana’a, on April 26. Speakers who are international and national experts and practitioners in the field of IP will be conducting exchange in various areas of IP. The Forum is to strengthen the profile of IP in the country by spreading knowledge on all aspects of IP.

It will be particularly for the benefit of the business and banking community, officials in the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Culture, institutions and governmental departments responsible for law enforcement, appropriate personnel involved in information technology, the legal professions, trademark and patent agents, and representatives of civil society institutions involved in activities resulting from creativity.