Africa-Press – Namibia. DESPITE Namibians coming up with new concepts daily, a number of innovative ideas and products remain unprotected from forgery, which is something the business and trademarks registrar wants to change.
The number of trademarks registered with the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa) is only at a mere average growth of 0,19% per year, said Bipa, asserting that more entrepreneurs need to come on board.
Bipa launched the ‘Own Your Mark. Protect Your Brand’ campaign to raise awareness about trademarking, and educate the public on the importance of entrepreneurs and innovators registering their trademarks and protecting their brands.
Bipa executive for intellectual property service Ainna Kaundu notes that “registrations were relatively low” and that the organisation aims to improve the rate of registrations and more relevantly, the level of trademark protection in Namibia.
A trademark is a sign used to distinguish the goods or services from one enterprise to another. In a media statement, Bipa claimed to have currently registered an estimate of 75 573 trademarks in its intellectual property register.
“The first phase is aimed at the creative industry, to assist the authority in getting the message across and promoting the benefits of trademark protection, as well as educating the target market about the process of registering a trademark.” Trademark protection is valid for 10 years in Namibia from date of registration.
“Intellectual property rights protection remains an integral part of the authority’s mandate and we remain committed to deliver on the same, it requires more than just protection. We must also educate, inform, and change the attitudes of our society towards intellectual assets,” says Kaundu.
Bipa also assist applicants filing through regional and international routes administered by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation in Harare, Zimbabwe, and the World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland.
Through the regional or international filing routes, an applicant submits a single application, while seeking protection in various countries. The campaign officially started on 9 November and will end on 20 December.
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