Monrovia – The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) says individuals who will not register their literary works will not be protected under the intellectual property law.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh 00231770745986 [email protected]
The law on intellectual property, among other things, seeks to protect intellectual works from been plagiarized.
Speaking to journalists during a press conference Tuesday December 11, 2018, LIPO Director General Atty. P. Adelyn Cooper said her office will not force anybody to register their literary works.
But added that individuals will benefit if their intellectual works are registered. It will be protected by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), she said.
“When you do registration for your literary works most especially the movie and the music; it protects you because the law provides that,” LIPO Director-General said.
Atty Cooper continued: “But if you do not do registration for it; somebody else can take it and play it. Where do you go; how do you benefit?”
“If your works are protected by IPO and you get to hear it outside there, you do a proper communication to our office, we will help you go to court for your protected work so that you can get some benefits for your work being used without your permission. So, if your work is protected, it is in your best interest.”
She disclosed that the LIPO will officially launch its website and newsletter on Friday, 14 December at the Liberia Chamber of Commerce Head Office.
This initiative will promote, safeguard and create awareness about Intellectual Property (IP), the LIPO boss said.
“This website which will be launched is one-stop hub that will contain features for IP online registration, IP database, and the country 2016 IP law,” she said.
“This step will positively impact the IP ecosystem of Liberia, and it is a step forward in educating the future. Also, it will inform responsible citizens about their rights and their potential to exploit the power of IP at its best.”
The move to transition from paper to online registration comes with lots of benefits including enhancing and fast-tracking IP registration process and the online database that will handle the publication of IP titles for the public, the LIPO Director-General said.
The IP database will be free and easy to access by IP agents and anyone who wishes to find information or register a patent, industrial design or trademark, she said.
Atty. Cooper added: “The website portal is intended to protect local innovation, invention, creators, and users of IP rights. At LIPO we are utilizing ICT tools to establish our presence in global intellectual property to foster creativity for economic growth and development in Liberia.”
LIPO has embarked on a lot of ICT projects to provide time-saving IP business processing, support the availability of IP information and to encourage IP rights protection to create a functional and sustainable IP system in Liberia, she added.