FEBRUARY 2008
Africa turns to IP for development
The lack of IP protection in Africa deters investors, while inventors in the continent barely register internationally. But, asks James Nurton, is that about to change?
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Africa lags behind the rest of the world in economic development. One effect of this is that its inventors do not make use of IP protection internationally, while overseas investors suffer from poor IP protection and enforcement. But things are beginning to change. African individuals and organizations are becoming more aware of IP rights and how they can benefit development. There is also a new focus on the role of science and technology in addressing challenges such as public health and the environment: next month, a conference in Addis Ababa will discuss technology transfer, and in particular the requirement on developed countries provided by Article 66.2 of TRIPs. Meanwhile, from Botswana to Zambia new legislation and reorganization of IP offices raise the possibility that, in a few years' time, Africa will finally take its place in the world IP system. |
In 2006, the USPTO granted 173,771 patents. Of these, just 125 (0.07%) went to inventors from Africa, a continent with some 900 million people (roughly equivalent to the population of the US, Japan and the EU combined). Out of the 125, 109 were granted to South Africans and 16 to inventors from the other 60 states. The picture in the world's other major patent offices is similar. At the EPO, there were just 63 patents granted to African applicants in 2006 (59 from South Africa, three from Mauritius and one from Morocco) and in Japan just nine (eight to South Africa and one to Egypt).
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