INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY STRATEGY MEETING HELD IN HONIARA

Know Your Rights. Photo credit: delhi-municipal.all.biz

Know Your Rights. Photo credit: delhi-municipal.all.biz

Government officials from three government ministries are meeting in Honiara this week to validate a draft Solomon Islands Intellectual Property Strategy.

The workshop is to give stakeholders previously involved in consultations and other interest groups an overview of the draft strategy.

It is also an opportunity for stakeholders to further discuss or suggest changes to the draft or seek clarifications from an international expert that produced the draft strategy.

Permanent Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs, Freddy Me’esa said this Intellectual Property Rights Strategy will provide Solomon Islands a strategic direction towards reviewing existing legislation on copyrights and intellectual property in Solomon Islands.

Mr. Me’esa said Solomon Islands does not have a separate intellectual property legislation protecting plant varieties, circuit layouts, or geographical indications or any specific legislation protecting traditional knowledge or traditional cultural expressions.

He said the existing Colonial laws still in practice in Solomon Islands were dated back to 1924 and no longer relevant to Solomon Islands context nor relevant to the modern world.

The Ministries involved in this strategy are Justice and Legal Affairs; Culture and Tourism; and, Foreign Affairs and External Trade.

A joint cabinet submission from these Ministries will be made soon after the Solomon Islands Intellectual Property Strategy is finalized for the country’s ‘ratification of the BURNE Convention’.

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