KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Botswana’s creative sector is a key driver for economic drive and in order to fully exploit the benefits all stakeholders must be capacitated to be fully appreciative of all the aspects involved. One of those aspects which is still lagging in comprehension and implementation is intellectual property, which many people do not seem to understand.This was said by intellectual property lawyer, artist and curator, Letlhogonolo Moremi, at the intellectual property workshop held under the theme ‘Intellectual Property and the Creative Economy: Know Your Rights.’ Moremi, a lawyer trained in intellectual property, said the workshop would be a knowledge sharing seminar for all artistes in the creative industry, lawyers, procurement officers, talent managers and intellectual property managers. “Africa is the youngest continent on the planet in terms of its people. I strongly believe that the creativity and ingenuity of our youth is the continent’s greatest resource. “Whether they are telling stories, creating art or devising technological solutions to Africa’s particular challenges, these are intellectual products worthy of protecting primarily for the benefit of the creator and to ensure protection from outside exploitation,” he said. Intellectual property is defined as the creations of the mind such as inventions: literary and artistic works, designs and symbols, names and images used in commerce. Intellectual property is often protected in law through copyright, trademarks and patents, for example, which means that the people who own it can earn recognition or financial benefit from it. Thapelo Borekilwe, who is managing director at DM Creative Brands, noted that knowledge on intellectual property remains inaccessible if not a mystery to most creatives and entrepreneurs and that is why it is important to host a workshop of this nature. “Many run the risk of being exploited by clients or exploiting each other simply because they do not know their rights and legal responsibilities. “This in turn hampers the development of a viable creative economy. We are also faced with the challenge of indigenising intellectual property concepts. “For example, how do we define intellectual property in Setswana and disseminate the information to the average Motswana? These are some of the issues that should be discussed.”