EPO Regional Forum on Industrial Property for Africa and the Middle East
01-Apr-2003
In cooperation with the Arab Society for Intellectual Property (ASIP), Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), the European Patent Office (EPO) hosted meetings of the Regional Forum on Industrial Property for Africa and the Middle East between March 31st and April 4th in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The "Role of the Industrial Property System in strengthening the ties between Europe and Africa" Forum covered much valuable ground, tackling the many aspects surrounding the developing nations economies vis-à-vis Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Laws.
Experts and specialists from Arab, European, African, and other international and national IP institutions and sectors debated many issues during the meetings. These included pharmaceutical manufacturing, technology transfer from the industrial to developing economies, and research in the bio-technology sector.
Also central to the debates was the present and future of cooperation with Europe, represented by the EPO and most major European Patent and IP establishments, and its role in developing and enhancing governmental policies and laws concerning IPR in the developing countries.
A special event was planned for the second day of the Forum, where a public conference was held to induce public participation and understanding in the ongoing debate surrounding IPR's. In addition, workshop was held on IP and
innovation, which dealt with the experiences of African countries, particularly South Africa, as well as the experiences of Europe and the Arab World.
ASIP submitted two working papers. The first one, entitled "the Impact of TRIPS on the Industry of the Arab World", was presented on Monday 31st by Mr. Mustafa Nasseredin. The second paper entitled "Innovation Strategies in the Arab World", was presented on Wednesday 2nd.
During the meetings, there were also discussions on establishing an Arab Patent Office, similar to the EPO. This idea was formulated by the ASIP Chairman, Mr. Talal Abu Ghazaleh, and it is now moving forward, hopefully, towards its implementation in the near future.