Producers of traditional goods will soon be able to protect the rights of their goods as well as generate the right revenue from them.
The Registrar General’s Department believes this will be achieved with the new law on the protection of intellectual properties of local producers.
The comment also come on the back of the preparation of a draft bill with local producers.
Local producers and traditionalists, have over the years, had their goods exploited by competitors from other countries due to the non-existence of the necessary laws to protect them.
In an interview with Citi Business News, Chief State Attorney at the Registrar General’s Department, Grace Issahaque said the draft, when ready, will be presented to Parliament for further scrutiny and passage.
She explained that the move has become necessary as stakeholders have been requesting for laws to protect their interests.
“Stakeholders have been requesting for a form of protection for traditional medicines, traditional herbal products and traditional cultural expressions; so we deemed it necessary that we heed to their call as we do not have any form of protection at the national level”.
According to Madam Grace Issahaque, relevant discussions are being held between the Registrar General and the producers of the traditional goods as to the appropriate law to adopt to protect their interests.
“We have put together platforms for us to discuss the issues as to whether we should have a law under copy right or one to protect all the different aspects of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions”.
“It will require us to come up with a draft bill to be presented before Parliament and so this will inform us whether to craft something and amend the copy right act or push this law into it or whether we should have a new law altogether that an institution would administer.”
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By: Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
