Louis Otieno, Corporate Affairs Director, Afrika Initiative; Microsoft Corporation (Centre) taking Juliana Rotich, Executive Director of Ushahidi (Left) and Gabriel Mranda, Director, Mranda Technologies through the features of the Microsoft IP Hub during the launch event in Nairobi.
In an effort to create an IP protection culture in Africa, Microsoft unveiled an online intellectual property (IP) portal called the Microsoft 4Afrika IP Hub. The IP Hub will offer developers and independent software vendors the skills and tools necessary to develop, protect and monetize their innovations. The portal will pilot in Kenya for two years, after which it will be handed over to the local government with similar pilots being rolled out to other African countries.
Secrecy rather than established copyright, trade name and patent programs to protect their valuable IP is how many people operate these days. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), only 383 resident patent applications were filed in Kenya through the Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure or with the national patent office between 2009 and 2012. Similarly, only 683 resident patent applications were filed in Egypt; 608 in South Africa; and a mere 53 resident patent applications were filed by resident inventors in the Ivory Coast. In contrast, approximately 268,000 resident patents were filed in the United States during the same period.
“Most African innovators function on the premise that the idea is theirs until someone else takes it to market, or duplicates it. As Africa’s innovation continues to flourish, the future remains uncertain if these promising ideas are not supported and protected properly,†said Louis Otieno, director for Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft 4Afrika.
To sell or market your innovation, one must have proof of ownership. Many do not know this, and those that do, the process of filing IP protection is a long and tedious task.
The IP Hub will streamline and digitize the process, while educating young innovators about the importance of IP protection, and assisting them to enforce their ownership against third parties.The Microsoft 4Afrika innovation goal is to bring to market and help African startups monetize their innovations and ideas, and allow them to make the right connection with investors.
To learn more about the IP Hub and sign up for membership, users can go to iphub.co.ke.