For those bent on undermining local Innovation-Intellectual Capacity in favour of or romanticizing and clinging on others' .... -------- 19 November 2009 IP Protection Secondary To Support For Small African Innovators By Robinson Esalimba Systematic and sustained programmes aimed at identifying and supporting African innovative talent may be a key part of Africa’s technological evolution, according to researchers and young entrepreneurs interviewed by Intellectual Property Watch. The second part of a two-part series highlighting innovation challenges in Africa focuses on harnessing and nurturing African innovation talent. In Kenya, one need not have a credit history, credit card or bank account to be a part of the paperless economy; all that is required is a mobile phone. With a mobile phone, one can pay for groceries at a tiny village shop, a ride in a taxi or transfer money to a relative in another town. The mobile phone, and especially the short messaging service (SMS), is a technology that young Kenyan entrepreneurs have adapted and repurposed in ways that are dramatically altering the lives of many people. However, the first challenge for African countries is identifying and harnessing this innovative talent. Identifying Talent Technology professor Nathan Eagle, who is an Omidyar Fellow at the Sante Fe Institute in the United States and a visiting lecturer at the University of Nairobi, said, “My best students at the University of Nairobi are on par with my best students at MIT [the Massachusetts Institute of Technology].” <http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/11/19/ip-protection-secondary-to-support-for-small-african-innovators/> On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 3:48 PM, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 9:36 PM, saidimu apale <saidimu@gmail.com> wrote:
Back to patents. Why should the government offer inventors *any* protection? Why not let competition (fair or unfair) sort out the winners and losers?
Until you can satisfactorily answer that question, then you don't really understand the function of patents.
It is actually illegal to use public funds/resources to protect private interests.
This is why it would be a mistake to allow public offices, e.g. State Law Office and dedicated police offers, to enforce the day-to-day protection of (mostly wealthy western corporates) private IPs/trademark rights. Yes, the law may exist, but the aggrieved companies should incur the benefits and costs of their registered rights- NOT for them to enjoy the benefits yet additionally charge taxpayers the costs of maintaining the status quo.