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Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Business Reporter
YOUNG innovators have been encouraged to patent their products before sharing them with the public as that secures their ideas from being ‘stolen’ by individuals or companies.

A patent is an exclusive right granted by law to applicants for an invention, which is a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem.

Intellectual Property protection provides businesses and innovators a competitive advantage by excluding others from utilising their innovations, meaning businesses and innovators will have a monopoly in the market for their innovative products and processes.

The invention should be new, non-obvious and industrially applicable.

A patent is valid for a limited period, generally 20 years.

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), an inter-governmental organisation that grants and administers Intellectual Property (IP) titles on behalf of its member states told Business Chronicle that several innovative products that were being exhibited during the recent Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) were yet to be patented.

ZITF

“While moving around the ZITF stands, it was observed that several innovative products were being exhibited and these need to be protected to reward the inventors and innovative companies with a monopoly in exploiting their inventions,” said ARIPO in written responses.

“Young innovators need to identify their inventions and improvements made to existing products and have them protected by patents or utility models.

Utility model rights are like patent rights, they are granted to inventions that make small improvements or modifications to existing products.

“Utility models can be cheaper and faster to obtain compared to patents.

Utility model protection lasts for 10 years.”

ARIPO said that a patent also enhances the potential revenue.

The organisation exhibited at the ZITF to  raise awareness on IP rights and its importance as well as provide information on the services offered by the organisation, which includes the registration of different intellectual property rights such as patents and trademarks.

“ZITF presents a great opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of intellectual property protection to businesses, universities and research institutions,” said ARIPO.

When innovators file for a patent before sharing it with the public, this is in line with the basic requirements for patent protection, which are novelty where an invention is considered new if it has not been disclosed to the public anywhere in the world.

ARIPO said this includes disclosing at an exhibition.

It said if one shares their invention with the public such as at the ZITF before filing for a patent, he or she has to file a patent application within six months from the date of exhibition to qualify for protection.

— @nqobilebhebhe