African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property – Theme: Invention, the engine of industrial development.
The Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI) celebrated on the 13th of September 2018 the African day for Technology and Intellectual Property. The event took place at the OAPI head office in Yaoundé and was attended but employees of the organization, IP agents and lawyers, Conseil en Propriété Industrielle (CPI) and a special guest from the Moroccan Industrial Property Office M. TAHIRI.
The event was mark by three brief presentations; M. Denis Bohoussou Loukou (Director General of OAPI), Guy Francis Boussafou (Director of Patent Division), M. Mohamed Tahiri (Head of Publication Patents at the Moroccan Industrial Property office.
In his brief welcome remark, the General Director highlighted the correlation between invention, innovation and development societies and economies that concentrate much inventive talent therefore become important sources of invention. They also become potential sources of much innovation and new technology.
Guy Francis Boussafou (Director of Patent Division), on his part focused on the problems faced in the examination of Patents which include:
- Poorly drafted Patent especially with local applications;
- Lack of skilled examiner and necessary logistics to carry out Patent examination;
He indicated that the organization now carry out only formality and administrative examination and this is due to the lack of skilled examiner in the domain of Patents.
He also highlighted the fact that most patent application come from PCT with conclusion from expert examiner thus making it easier to handle.
He concluded by saying that the organization has come out with a strategic plan 2018 – 2022 with the aim to:
- Raise Awareness on the importance and protection of Patents;
- Introduction of substantive examination ;
- Training of Patents examiners
This vision confirms the policies and strategies initiated at the sub regional forum held in Abidjan on August 28 and 30, aiming at making universities and research institutions in OAPI, structures with an entrepreneurial policy based on an efficient exploitation of their intellectual property assets.
Finally, M. Mohamed Tahiri (Head of Publication Patents at the Moroccan Industrial Property office) gave an overview of Patent protection in Morocco (from filing, examination granting and publication).
He also indicated the various changes and development in Moroccan IP and Patent laws. A law that has been modified several times in the last 10 years with the objective to render the Patent filing and granting procedure more user friendly.
The presentations ended with a Question & Answer session where all presenters were given opportunities to clarify issues raise in the presentation.