Stimulating Innovation in Developing Countries: the role of Utility Models
2nd March 2006 • Co-organised with UNCTAD
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ICTSD-UNCTAD Roundtable
Many factors influence the creation and preservation of systems of innovation in a country, including education policies, its technological absorptive capacity, its general institutional base to promote domestic research and development, and the legal and economic incentives particularly in terms of adequate intellectual property (IP) and investment regimes. In the field of IP there are various instruments that can be of assistance in promoting the type of innovation that developing countries can generate, among them the so called ‘utility models’ or ‘petty patents’.
Utility models, which offer patent-like protection for minor or incremental innovations, have played a key role in the industrial development of countries like Germany and Japan, as well as South Korea and India. They encompass special features including reduced examination and protection standards and low administrative costs, making them an appropriate instrument for promoting innovations in developing countries.
In this context, various international discussions including the WIPO’s Development Agenda and the Patent Agenda have pointed to the need to expand the body of empirical evidence on the role of utility models and other IP instruments in fostering innovation and sustainable development.
This event, therefore, will provide an opportunity to exchange views on the role of utility models for promoting innovation in developing countries, to review recent experiences in developing countries and to explore the policy options that various stakeholders could take into account when designing or implementing their own national utility model systems. We will be tabling a paper by Uma Suthersanen, who has undertaken a review of relevant country experiences in this field.
Agenda
13h00 - 13h10 Welcoming Remarks
Roundtable:
13h10 - 13h30 Presentation by Uma SUTHERSANEN, Reader in Intellectual Property Law and Policy, Queen Mary, University of London
13h30 - 13h 50 Comments by:
- Simon Qobo, Permanent Mission of South Africa
- Kiyoshi ADACHI, International Investment Arrangements/TOT-IPR, UNCTAD
13h50 - 14h45 Open Discussion
14h45 - 15h00 Wrap up session
Participants
1. A.M. Colandrea, Holy See
2. Amore Bekele, UNCTAD
3.Anbertta Cablio, UNCTAD
4. Anne Christine Charon, UNCTAD
5. Bertam Boie, UNCTAD
6.Carlos Correa, University of Buenos Aires
7. Carsten Fink, World Bank
8.Christoph Spenneman, UNCTAD
9. David Vivas, ICTSD
10. Dong Wu, UNCTAD
11. Elo Laurent, UNCTAD
12. Glenda Napier, UNCTAD
13. Hekmut G, Permanent Mission of Iran
14. J.Mund, Permanent Mission of Pakistan
15. J.Park, Permanent Mission of Republic of Korea
16. Johanna Von Braun, ICTSD
17.John Sarnoff, Washington College of Law
18. Juan. H., IP interface.
19. Kiyoshi Adachi, UNCTAD
20. Laura Clemmer, William Blanc and Co.
21. Maigari Buba, Permanent Mission of Nigeria
22. Myrna Higgins, Permanent Mission of Trininad and Tobago
23. Oliver Slocock, European Commission
24. Palesa Tlhapi, CIEL
25. Paolo Befani, Independant Consultant
26.Pierre Oliviere, UK Patent Office
27.Preeti Ramdai, ICTSD
28. Rosa Castro, Bologna University.
29. Santanu Mukherjee, Independant Consultant
30. Simon Qobo, Permanent Mission of South Africa
31. T. Wasescha, WTO
32. William. N., IP-Watch
33. Uma Suthersanen, Queenmary, University of London
34. Y. Nafissi Azar, UNCTAD
35. Y. Lenevich, Permanent Mission of Russia
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