National Intellectual Property Strategies, Some Examples and Their Significance June, 2005 Maputo, Mozambique WIPO Intellectual Property and New Technologies Division IP Strategy Workshop

National IP Strategies National IP strategies are policy documents on IP developed by governments. The documents outline the IP types, their common stakeholders and how to grant legal protection to their owners.

National IP Strategies The documents state the key departments and institutions including R&Ds involved with innovations and any collaborations. Their objective is to facilitate economic prosperity for the IP rights holders by enabling efficient exploitation of their IP assets.

Stakeholders commonly involved in developing IP Strategies: The National IP Offices The R&D Institutions Universities and Polytechnics Ministries of Trade and Industry Chambers of Commerce Inventors’ Associations Ministry of Legal Affairs, Legal Practitioners, accountants, etc.

WIPO as Collaborator in IP Strategy Development WIPO offers guidance and assistance when approached by any member states to develop IP Strategies Some of the countries which have received such assistance from WIPO include Romania, Ethiopia, Barbados, Colombia.

The National IP Strategies in WIPO IP Asset Database Summaries of fourteen National IP Strategies are available in the WIPO IP Strategies Database; Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Hungary, Philippines, Romania, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Denmark, Ethiopia and The European Union.

Examples of IP Strategies and their Main Features 1. South Africa White Paper On Science and Technology, –Published by the Department Of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, in –Outlines policy framework for innovation promotion –Aims at production, assimilation and exploitation of novelty in economic sphere

2.Backing Australia’s Ability --An Innovation Action Plan for the Future 2001, launched May, 2004 –Aims at strengthening Australia’s ability to generate ideas, undertake research, and to accelerate their commercial exploitation. –Developing and retaining Australian skilled human reservoir. –Overseen by a Science and Innovation Ministerial Council chaired by the Prime Minister, advised by a Chief Scientist

3.Canada: Science and Technology for the New Century: A Federal Strategy, 1966, launched 2002 –10 year innovation strategy, objectives are: –Improving performance in research and development by responding to economic challenges and opportunities; –Promoting commercial application of knowledge; –Attracting foreign direct investment –Stresses importance of IP strategy for publicly funded projects in universities

4.China: The Premier’s March 2003 Annual Congress Report Outlines the Strategy Emphasizes: –National rejuvenation through science, technology, education and sustainable development, –Highlights role of IP to harness national brands, to increase international competitiveness, –Underlines role of R&D, IP Asset Protection and use to enhance productivity and sustainable development.

China links IP with technological achievements Feb announcement that Ministry of Information Industry will require patenting as a pre-condition to technological evaluation and support; “Lack of self-developed technology invariably puts domestic users in an embarassing position”.

5.Ethiopia: Strategic Plan E.C –Produced by the IP Office with the collaboration of the Judiciary, Chamber of Commerce, Customs, Police, the Ministries of Science and Technology, Education, Culture and Justice –Aims at promoting, creation, protection, and commercialization of IP –Identifies key areas of competitive advantage; –Identifies challenges; –Aims at creating an environment that favors IP asset development by nationals

6.Industrial Policy in Denmark: Industrial Property Rights, 2000 –Emphasizes need for faster and cheaper means for protecting inventions, trademarks and industrial designs, and –For legal protection for intellectual property to be developed along with technology and a knowledge based economy; –Calls on the Danish companies to be aware of and exploit IP system; –Promotes more reliable valuation methods; –

7.The European Union Innovation Policy, 2000 and 2003 –The First Action Plan for Innovation in Europe: Innovation for Growth And Employment – –Addresses need for R&D expenditure

8.Japan: Strategic Program for the Creation, Protection and Exploitation of IP, 2003 –Sets out the need to enhance GDP and export by increasing enterprise revenues on IP-based exports –Seeks to stimulate human capital development –Plans to turn information and knowledge into significant national wealth; –Highly detailed and systematic.

The Underlying Features Of the IP Strategies All are outcome of nationally coordinated and formulated study or audit with inputs from major IP stakeholders; All stress creation, ownership, exploitation of IP assets; All focus on the value of investment in education and R&D to compete and prosper in the current knowledge- based economy; All suggest need for technology ownership and local development, as complement to technology transfer; All seek to facilitate innovation, technology transfer and economic growth.