Rwanda: Intellectual Property Rights Bill passed
13/10/2008

Rwanda: Intellectual Property Rights Bill Passed

The New Times (Kigali)

NEWS
9 October 2008
Posted to the web 9 October 2008
Kigali

Senate has approved the bill on protection of Intellectual Property Rights and effective enforcement mechanisms.

The bill on intellectual property covers patent rights on trademarks and copyrights, and gives creators exclusive rights to their creations thereby providing an incentive for the author or inventor to develop and share the information rather than keep it secret.

The legal protections granted by Intellectual Property bill are credited with significant contributions toward national economic growth.

The bill approved by the Senate also protects inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs.

A press statement from the Senate reads in part that the bill contains acquisition of Intellectual Property, its existence, limitations, its possible use and measures against and punishments for the abuse of protecting Intellectual Property rights.

The purpose of protection of Intellectual Property aims mostly at encouraging people to create and discover using latest technologies and sharing information using technology for national development.

The bill also establishes the use of intellectual property for commercial use and respect of copyrights.

Intellectual property rights encourage the innovation and creativity that is fundamental to sustained economic growth.

In a related development; the Senate also approved a bill establishing the Public Servants Statute.

It also outlines the roles of public servants but also limits them in mixing up their personal businesses or political ambitions with the primary obligations required of them.