Mauritius foreign affairs and trade minister Arvin Boolell emphasised the importance of setting up an Intellectual Property Council in the island economy to bring together all institutions dealing with IP under a common framework.
Moreover, said the minister, a new IP Policy is being designed which would attempt to mainstream IP into our economic and social development and to further promote innovation and creativity through a more holistic approach to intellectual property matters.
“An Intellectual Property (IP) Council is to be established to bring together all the various institutions dealing with IP for a more coherent and coordinated approach, and provide guidance in the design and implementation of IP policies,” noted Boolell at the opening ceremony of a national workshop held from March 5 till today.
According to the minister, IP issues have gained significant importance in Mauritius over the years and today are a central part of the island’s economic strategy.
The country is almost on the eve of adopting a new Copyrights Bill which is awaiting the second reading in the National Assembly, he pointed out.
The Bill aims at expanding the scope of copyright protection and providing a stronger framework to fight piracy while creating a more conducive environment for investment in the digital industry.
The three day workshop on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement and Intellectual Property-related matters was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in collaboration with the University of Mauritius and the Mauritius Research Council at the Intercontinental Hotel, Balaclava.
The workshop aimed at promoting a better understanding of the various components of the Intellectual Property Rights and sharing best practices in Intellectual Property Management.
It attracted around 40 participants from the International Trade Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade; Mauritius Industrial Property Office; Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security; Mauritius Research Council; State Law Office; and the private sector.
The agenda of the three days covered the following topics: World Trade Organisation (WTO) multilateral system and the TRIPS Agreement; IP legal and policy framework in Mauritius; and Administration of Intellectual Property Rights.
The workshop served to enable participants to identify issues of concern to Mauritius as well as to address challenges regarding the accession of Mauritius to different treaties, namely the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, and Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks.
Image (Government of Mauritius ): According to Mauritius’ foreign affairs and trade minister, IP issues have gained significant importance in Mauritius over the years and today are a central part of the island’s economic strategy.
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