WIPO Respect For IP Conference To Be Held This Year In South Africa

In 2018, the World Intellectual Property Organization and other major international organisations are planning the second international conference on “Respect for IP,” referring to raising awareness of and building strategies for enforcement of intellectual property, this time in South Africa.

According to an announcement from WIPO, the event will be held from 23-25 October in Sandton, South Africa (near Johannesburg). It follows on the first conference, held in 2016 in Shanghai, China.

The full announcement, available here, is reprinted below:

International Conference: Respect for IP – Growing from the Tip of Africa

Please join us at the International Conference Respect for IP – Growing from the Tip of Africa in Sandton, South Africa, from October 23 to 25, 2018.

This global intellectual property (IP) event will foster dialogue on building respect for IP with the ambitious goal of supporting a balanced IP enforcement system through international cooperation. More than 600 participants from all over the world are expected, including government ministers and policymakers, judges and senior enforcement officials, governmental and non-governmental organizations, businesses, the legal fraternity, consumer groups and more.

Respect for IP – Growing from the Tip of Africa is the result of joint efforts by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission of South Africa (CIPC), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

More detailed information about the program and speakers, the conference website and various sponsorship and exhibition opportunities will follow shortly. For the moment, please download our save the date flyer and be sure to add the following dates to your calendar:

• October 23, 2018 – Gala Dinner
• October 24 and 25, 2018 – Plenary Working Sessions.

We are looking forward to seeing you next year in South Africa!

Kind regards,

Minelik Alemu Getahun
Assistant Director General

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An “Incubator of Ideas”

A WIPO spokesperson explained the background and purpose of the conference to Intellectual Property Watch:

“The Conference in South Africa is the second international conference on building respect for IP that WIPO has organized. It was preceded by the International Conference on Building Respect for Intellectual Property – Stimulating Innovation and Creativity, that was held in Shanghai, China, on November 17 and 18, 2016 (more information available at http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/2016/building_respect_conference.html).

The overall goal of the Conference is to provide a high-level forum for dialogue amongst policy and decision makers in the area of building respect for IP and IP enforcement from around the globe.  It will serve as an incubator of ideas for supporting a balanced and effective IP enforcement system and resolving some of today’s pressing issues in building respect for IP.  A particular emphasis of next year’s Conference will be on international and domestic collaboration in building respect for IP.

Decisions to organize building respect for IP conferences are not taken by the WIPO Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE).  This notwithstanding we kept Member States informed about the progress in the planning of the 2016 Conference in the regular ACE consultation meetings that we had with the Regional Coordinators and will also do the same or the 2018 Conference in South Africa.  Please note that a number of Member States provided very positive feedback on the 2016 Conference in statements made at the last ACE session and General Assembly.”

At WIPO, the sometimes sensitive issue of IP enforcement is handled as a non-negotiating topic, including through the member-state Advisory Committee on Enforcement, which meets periodically to share best practices and discuss issues.

 

Image Credits: WIPO