Ghana: World Intellectual Property Day 2023 launched

The Ghana Intellectual Property Office has called on Women in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to develop Intellectual Property (IP) strategy for their businesses during the launch of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day in Accra.

Doing this will enable them protect their IP rights and enhance their business competitiveness in the market space.

The launch was in collaboration with the Copy Right Office and the Chamber of Agribusiness, Ghana to acquaint the general public about the role of the intellectual property rights to encourage innovation and creativity for businesses.

It also sought to highlight on the impact of IP rights such as patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright on daily life, and their role in encouraging innovation and creativity.

The theme for this year: “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity,” aimed at celebrating the efforts women innovators, creators and entrepreneurs around the world to support the growth of businesses.

Speaking at the launch, the Acting Registrar-General, Mrs. Grace Ama Issahaque noted that many women particularly in Ghana, set up new creative trends, building businesses and transforming the world.

However, she explained that, many of the MSMEs had little knowledge about Intellectual Property rights, the IP assets of their businesses and its importance to business commercialization and profitability.

“We have women scientists and researchers in our various institutions developing better technologies that work for us,” she said strategies that they were also “establishing thriving businesses,”

“Others also think IP is expensive, hence, they do not have an IP strategy at all for their businesses.”

Mrs.Issahaque encouraged women who owned MSMEs to develop an IP strategy for their businesses to give them competitive edge over other market players.

Mrs Issahaque said the Office remained committed in ensuring that businesses and MSMEs got the needed credit for such small startups and to reap the benefits.

She further encouraged business owners and other persons in the creative industry to regularly visit the Ghana Intellectual Property Office to be abreast with the IP rights, to protect Ideas they had created.

World Intellectual Property Day is marked on April 26, annually.