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From left to right, the Chief Director of the Trade Ministry, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Ewow Spio Garbrah and Gerhard Brugger holding the National IP policy and strategy
The Government of Ghana and the Swiss Federation have launched the first National Intellectual Property (IP) Policy and Strategy aimed at ensuring that innovators, creators, users and consumers of the IP system benefit from an improved IP environment.
The policy, jointly produced by the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Justice, will in the short-term establish a functional and sustainable intellectual property system in Ghana.
In the medium term, the policy will ensure IP becomes a catalyst for creativity, innovation and technological development.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, who launched the document, said government recognizes intellectual property rights as a powerful catalyst within national economy, adding that government will modernize and strengthen the systems for protection through the new policy.
“It is therefore gratifying to note that activities outlined under the policy document, when implemented, will change the IP landscape,” he said.
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He said adequate protection for IP rights creates favourable conditions for entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfer and modernization of products, all of which are pivotal to increasing international competitiveness and adding value to Ghanaian products.
“We are confident that with the National IP Policy in place and the necessary awareness in the use of intellectual property rights as tools to add value to one’s creativity and ingenuity, we will unearth in our country many more inventors,” he added.
Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, Gerhard Brugger, said the new policy will ensure a balanced protection of intellectual property rights to promote competition and add value to Ghanaian products.
Hon. Brugger said the Swiss Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the second phase corporation project which focuses on IP.
“The second phase continues the successful cooperation between Ghana and Switzerland in the field of IP established during the first phase of the project. The second phase of the project will provide capacity-building to the intellectual enforcement authorities so they can deliver better services,” he said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
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