WIPO Press Release 2008PR/2008/569, released on Friday, reports that the Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), Gift H. Sibanda, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday with the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, which is intended to strengthen and expand cooperation between the two organizations. The MOU covers traditional areas of cooperation relating to capacity-building, as well as a special project to boost ARIPO’s patent information capacity.
The agreement is also intended boost the capacity of ARIPO member states to provide the means for research institutes, universities and the private sector to capitalize on the wealth of technical information available in patent documents. According to the Press Release:
For further information please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section by phone +41 22 338 81 61 or 338 95 47 or fax +41 22 338 82 80. No email contact details are given."WIPO will also assist, where appropriate, in undertaking studies on the contribution of copyright-based industries to national economies, and the role of distinctive signs, particularly geographical indications, in the promotion of domestic and export trade. Cooperation will extend to building the capacity of copyright collective management organizations and enhancing rights management at the national and regional levels. In addition to the provision of technical and legislative assistance, cooperation will also be strengthened in establishing a legal framework for the protection on traditional knowledge and traditional expressions of folklore.
In a separate agreement relating to patent information and the dissemination of patent documents, WIPO will provide ARIPO with the necessary technical assistance to digitize and format its patent data. This will enable ARIPO to provide value-added patent information services to its member countries. WIPO and ARIPO will cooperate in the development of patent information tools to demonstrate the value of patent information and to increase awareness about the utilization of patent information. The two organizations will jointly organize symposia, seminars, workshops and other training programs in the area of patent information to address particular needs and requirements of users from ARIPO member countries. WIPO will integrate the patent information provided by ARIPO and its member states into WIPO’s patentscope ® Search Service to encourage the broader dissemination and use of this data".
