The Gambia focuses on IP

Home to 1.7 million people (wikipedia)

It might be Africa's smallest country but The Gambia is busy setting itself up as an IP hub. A recent two day event organised by WIPO and ARIPO in conjunction with The Gambia government was tasked with formulating a National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy document.

According to an AllAfrica report (Amie Sanneh) Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lamin Jobarteh expressed that:

"Instead the development of societies and states are increasingly driven by the knowledge and skills of its people and the ability to harness and exploit its knowledge and resources"

The article states that "The Justice Minister explained that in the past two years, his department embarked on an intensive effort to clear the heavy backlog of intellectual property publications in the national gazette. He said it has now started printing the intellectual property certificates to its rightful holders. In January 2011, said Minister Jobarteh, the industry property regulations came into force which simplifies the gazetting and registration procedures for registration of industrial property. He stated further that the Copyright Office also formulated the first set of draft copyright regulations on registration of works which were adopted. Registration of works made in the Gambia began in the second quarter of 2011, he said."

Also speaking at the opening was Francoise Wege, Deputy Director, Regional Bureau for Africa, WIPO who spoke on behalf of the Director General of WIPO.