Police receive training manuals to help them investigate intellectual property and copyright infringements
Intellectual property infringement is one of the stumbling blocks of the current dispute between the United States and China. This could also become an issue in Namibia as the country grows its manufacturing base as part of the development strategy encapsulated in the fifth National Development Plan.
Ensuring that local law enforcement stays on top of the latest international trends in the protection of intellectual property, the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) last week donated an extensive set of law enforcement manuals to the Namibian Police at an intellectual property law enforcement seminar in Windhoek
The seminar was held under the theme: Building an Effective and Balanced Intellectual Property Enforcement Legal System in Namibia. Seminar participants learned about international developments in intellectual property protection and the importance of being able to enforce this protection in Namibian courts. This depends on the ability of police officers to investigate infringements.
BIPA, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation, printed training material on Intellectual Property Law Enforcement, to be used for capacity building of enforcement agencies. The acting Chief Executive of BIPA, Vivienne Katjiuongua, presented this material to Deputy Commissioner M. !Naruseb for use at the Police Training Academy.
Expressing the police’s gratitude, the Deputy Commissioner said it is vital that law enforcement must be able to keep track of legal developments in the protection of intellectual property rights.
Realising the importance of guaranteed intellectual property protection for international investors, Katjiuongua said that Namibia is determined to position intellectual property as a tool that supports the country’s development agenda.
“It is our intention that the system must seek to protect, promote and reward creativity while ensuring that we safeguard public interest,” she said.
Caption: The Business and Intellectual Property Authority’s acting Chief Executive, Mrs Vivienne Katjiuongua presented the Head of the Commercial Investigation unit in the Namibian Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate, Deputy Commissioner M !Naruseb with training manuals on the protection of intellectual property rights. These manuals will be used at the Police Training Academy.
