Malawi lagging behind on patent cooperation treaty

African Regional Intellectual Organisation (Aripo) has said Malawi, just like many African countries, is lagging behind on the use and application of patent cooperation treaty (PCT) in the protection and safeguarding of its citizen’s intellectual property (IP).

Aripo examiner for bio-technology and life science Said Ramadan said in an interview on Monday that many African countries do not know what they are inventing.

He said on the sidelines of a workshop on the PCT organised by World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo) in collaboration Registrar General Department in Blantyre that they have already intensified awareness to improve the situation.

“With 19-member States from different parts of Africa, we found that it is difficult for these African countries to progress individually, hence the formulation of Aripo.

“We are not very much aware whether what we are inventing is worth intellectual property protection or not, hence lack of active participation in the programme,” said Ramadan

He, however, said the challenge the organisation is currently facing is that most of the applications received for examination are not clearly drafted to be examined.

Speaking earlier, Registrar General Chapusa Phiri said that PCT penetration in Malawi is low because of lack of awareness on the use and importance of the treaty.

He said: “The use of PCT is low at the moment that is why we are conducting these workshops. Malawians in general are innovators and inventors but the problem has always been that these creative minds are not nurtured and don’t know how to protect their innovations.”

Phiri said Malawi Government is taking steps towards realising its vision of putting in place a modern, and robust IP regime which will reflect the social and economic realities, challenges and opportunities of the country where creative ideas are protected.

Phiri said “key to these initiatives is the adoption and implementation of the National Intellectual Property Policy and its implementation strategy” which is now ready to be presented to principal secretaries for their considerations before it is tabled in Cabinet.

Aripo is a 19-member regional organisation headquartered in Zimbabwe.n