Every year on April 26, people around the world observe World Intellectual Property Day.
Particularly for independent creators, business owners, start-ups, and micro, small, and medium-sized companies (MSMEs), intellectual property (IP) is an essential component of Uganda’s creative and innovative ecosystems.
The national IP body, Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), conducted events, such as an exhibition for women in business, to increase awareness of the importance of intellectual property.
The keynote address was given by Hon. Amelia Kyambadde, Senior Presidential Advisor.Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity served as the topic for the World Intellectual Property Day 2023 activities, which celebrated the “can-do” mentality of female entrepreneurs, innovators, and inventors throughout Uganda as well as their trailblazing efforts.
The purpose of intellectual property (IP) rights is to encourage creativity and innovation among different civilizations.
The URSB Board Chairman, Ambassador Francis Butagira; the Registrar General, Mercy K. Kainobwisho; and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, were among the other prominent speakers at the ceremony.
Speaking to the women, Hon. Amelia Kyambadde said IP gives the younger generation, particularly women, the chance to concentrate on employing creativity to transition to a more suitable future.
Our women must actively participate in creative and inventive endeavors in order to maximize the government’s efforts to empower women.
I really believe that this is both doable and achievable,” she declared.Hon. Norbert Mao noted that the National Intellectual Property Policy 2019 was adopted by the Ministry of Justice to direct Uganda’s goal to use IP for socioeconomic transformation.
“Celebration of IP encourages developing and enforcing IP laws and regulations that ensure that people and businesses can protect their ideas and creative works.”
The World Intellectual Property Day celebrations this year, according to Mercy Kainobwisho, will advocate for more female entrepreneurs, inventors, and creators to enhance the value of the technology, businesses, and creative works they create.
“As URSB, it is our responsibility to help you protect, market, and commercialize your discoveries. We all lose when women are underrepresented in IP, Kainobwisho continued.
In addition to sharing first-hand accounts of how IP empowers and benefits creators, innovators, and society at large, the IP Day exhibition at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre offered an opportunity to highlight the stories of a few women who rely on IP rights to accelerate innovation and creativity.
Through their creativity, ingenuity, and hard work, women in Uganda continue to change the commercial and creative industries.
However, they frequently face substantial obstacles in getting the knowledge, skills, resources, and support they need to thrive—a role URSB is committed to supporting.