By NIDRA KEWERE MAPI
THE office of Intellectual Property (IPO) and the National Cultural Commission (NCC) must collaborate with universities in the country to take the leading role in creating awareness on intellectual property rights.
Principal lawyer for Lomai & Associates Ben Lomai said this at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Symposium at the Gateway Hotel recently.
Intellectual property rights were becoming more and more complex because of the costs involved, diversification of its protection strategies at the local and global front and rising issues in bio-technology, genetic resources, electronic commerce and cultural aspects.
Mr Lomai said to address these issues, every institution whether profit making or non-profit making including government agencies had to work together to achieve this cause.
He said it was important to create awareness in terms of educating those who do not understand the concept of intellectual property rights.
He added that the government should provide sufficient funds to assist the IPO, NCC and the universities in pursuing this cause.
“The role of the universities or research organisations in bringing research and education to the public is very important.
“Academics can play a vital role in advocating the importance of research and education because of the in-depth knowledge of their discipline,” Mr Lomai said.
He said that simple Papua New Guineans did not know really understand the concept of intellectual property rights so they had to be educated.
Intellectual property describes the outputs of creative endeavor in literary, artistic and scientific fields which can be protected under legislation.
Through the influence of technology, it also had a strong impact on economic development in both advanced and less advanced economies.
Mr Lomai said: “Unless and until all stakeholders and the communities at large support this move in research and educate people, the misconception of intellectual property rights will continue to exist.”
In support of the need for awareness and research, Secretary for the Constitutional Law & Reform Commission Dr Lawrence Kalione said that intellectual property was knowledge driven, and education is a critical to aspect of it.
He said the area was broad-based with the need for focused education and training in intellectual property.
“Administration and enforcement is important for developing a pool of practitioners who will then drive the work of IP offices and universities that will further drive education, training and research in the country,” Dr Kalione said.
He said that it was important that the educators had to design and teach programmes which were relevant and reflective of the intellectual property concerning PNG.