URSB tips innovators on protecting their pandemic inventions

The Uganda Registration Services Bureau has urged the creative industry to always be aware of the legal remedies to ensure they benefit from the commercialization and protection of their innovations.

“The growth of our economy is partly dependent on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector and together with government, URSB has been taking all necessary measures to spread awareness on the significance of intellectual property rights in protecting and monetizing our creative inventions,” said Mercy Kainobwisho, the  Registrar General.

She made the remarks on Friday during an expert panel discussion organised by URSB under the theme; ‘Innovation during a Pandemic; The need to protect your Inventions’.

During the virtual meeting, property experts discussed the values of protecting inventions as well ways in which businesses can work to protect their brands, more so during such times of the pandemic where business is disrupted.

They also shared observations from the ongoing disruptions and explored creations protection

‘In Uganda, small and medium enterprises have been the driving force behind many innovations. Successful SMEs have been able to reinforce ideas to create products that consumers want, utilized IP rights to protect them and create value for their business,” said Dr. Anthony Kakooza, a leading intellectual property academic and lawyer.

“Underlining the inherent innovative abilities of our creative sector must be encouraged and supported to increasingly adapt intellectual property in business operations, especially considering the emerging technological developments. This will give them the edge to commercialise their work while protecting them.”

According to James Tonny Lubwama, the Manager for Patents and Industrial Designs at URSB, the role played by intellectual property in enabling innovation in the world, especially during such times like the current Coronavirus pandemic cannot be underestimated.

He noted that protection of these innovations would help encourage more inventors to work towards solving some of the issues arising out of the pandemic.

“Trademark registrations are often indicative of future business success, establishing stand-out brands and underlining their distinctiveness in the marketplace. Industries that make intensive use of trademarks are the reason intellectual property applications at URSB have been on the increase for the last two years. We encourage more innovators to come to us for protection,” Lubwama said.

The virtual discussion was attended by over 200 participants, including senior policymakers, innovators, intellectual property experts from the industry and the legal fraternity who listened in and gave feedback on subjects ranging from the need for an increasingly robust intellectual property ecosystem for Uganda to become a knowledge economy which is the key role of in intellectual property and growth of SMEs.