By Khalifa Hemed
Published August 17, 2024
An award to encourage high-quality reportage by journalists that also shapes positive attitudes towards Intellectual Property Rights (IP) across Africa has been launched.
The initiative of the Harare (Zimbabwe)-based African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) in collaboration with Intellectual Property Rights & Innovation (AfrIPI) Project, the ARIPO Intellectual Property Journalists Award competition is designed to recognise and reward excellence in journalism that enhances public awareness and understanding of IP rights across 22 ARIPO Member States, i.e Botswana, Eswatini, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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Eligible journalists are encouraged to submit their print, radio, television, and digital media coverage of IP-related topics through a specially designed online portal by September 14, 2024.
Submissions should demonstrate a clear understanding of various IP concepts and articulate them in a manner that is understandable to the general public. Judges will be looking for entries that break down intricate IP topics into comprehensible segments, making IP relevant and relatable to a broader audience. Additionally, the exploration of IP’s role in everyday life is essential; entries should depict how IP impacts individuals and communities, highlighting real-life applications and benefits.
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Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) not only play a crucial role in promoting development in Africa but are also key to protecting inventions, innovations, and creative works while boosting economic growth. The continent’s rich and diverse resources offer a vast potential for creativity, and scientific and technological innovation. However, the enforcement of IP rights in Africa faces several challenges, including the need for development agendas and science, technology, and innovation frameworks.
While ARIPO is an inter-governmental organisation that facilitates cooperation among Member States in intellectual property matters, AfrIPI is a pan-African project that aims to support the European Union in administering, utilising, protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights across Africa.
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