There’s no doubt that there is a myriad of problems facing Nigeria but most of them are not directly related to creating employment. A simplistic way of looking at it is that regardless of what the government is doing we will continue to consume certain things and those things need to get manufactured, farmed, collated and/or sold. If this premise is true, then employment is mostly indirectly linked to the government especially when there are enabling laws already in place.

The article quoted below shows an extreme example of what can be gained by strong intellectual property laws that gets enforced. Could intellectual property enforcement be what’s needed to unlock Nigeria’s potential?

Currently, there are industries that will immediately see the benefits of stronger IP protection, which will mean a better ROI that could be ploughed back into that industry to create more innovations/jobs. If I have a goose that lays golden eggs, you better believe that I will do everything in my power to ensure that the goose continues to lay eggs for as long as possible!

Industries that will see immediate benefits include:
1. Nollywood
2. Music industry
3. Manufacturers in Aba
4. Pharmaceutical companies etc

Industries that will immediately spring up include:
1. Computer peripherals manufacturers
2. Furniture manufacturers
3. Tools manufacturers
4. Tech companies
5. Patent attorneys etc

Essentially, our economy will compete with South Africa’s economy in terms of advancement in industries. The demand is already there, 162 million people strong!

What are your thoughts?

US Commerce Department Releases New Report Showing Intellectual Property-Intensive Industries Contribute $5 Trillion, 40 Million Jobs to US Economy

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department today released a comprehensive report, entitled “Intellectual Property and the U.S. Economy: Industries in Focus,” which finds that intellectual property (IP)-intensive industries support at least 40 million jobs and contribute more than $5 trillion dollars to, or 34.8 percent of, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).

“This first of its kind report shows that IP- intensive industries have a direct and significant impact on our nation’s economy and the creation of American jobs,” said Commerce Secretary John Bryson. “When Americans know that their ideas will be protected, they have greater incentive to pursue advances and technologies that help keep us competitive, and our businesses have the confidence they need to hire more workers. That is why this Administration’s efforts to protect intellectual property, and modernize the patent and trademark system are so crucial to a 21st century economy that is built to last.”

While IP is used in virtually every segment of the U.S. economy, the report identifies the 75 industries that use patent, copyright, or trademark protections most extensively. These “IP-intensive industries” are the source – directly or indirectly – of 40 million jobs. That’s more than a quarter of all the jobs in this country. Some of the most IP-intensive industries include: Computer and peripheral equipment, audio and video equipment manufacturing, newspaper and book publishers, Pharmaceutical and medicines, Semiconductor and other electronic components, and the Medical equipment space.

“Strong intellectual property protections encourage our businesses to pursue the next great idea, which is vital to maintaining America’s competitive edge and driving our overall prosperity,” said Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank. “The report released today shows that wages for jobs in IP-intensive industries are higher than average and continue to increase, meaning that these jobs aren’t just important for businesses and entrepreneurs – they are important for working families. The IP protections we put in place today are helping support economic security for America’s middle class now and in the years to come.”

The report has several important findings, including:
• IP-intensive industries contributed $5.06 trillion to the U.S. economy or 34.8 percent of GDP in 2010.
• 40 million jobs, or 27.7 percent of all jobs, were directly or indirectly attributable to the most IP-intensive industries in 2010.
• Between 2010 and 2011, the economic recovery led to a 1.6 percent increase in direct employment in IP-intensive industries, faster than the 1.0 percent growth in non-IP-intensive industries.
• Merchandise exports of IP-intensive industries totaled $775 billion in 2010, accounting for 60.7 percent of total U.S. merchandise exports.

“Every job in some way, produces, supplies, consumes, or relies on innovation, creativity, and commercial distinctiveness,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director David Kappos. “America needs to continue investing in a high quality and appropriately balanced intellectual property system that will promote innovative, open, and competitive markets while helping to ensure that the U.S. private sector remains America’s innovation engine.”

The report is a joint product of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Secretary Bryson was joined today by Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank, Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director David Kappos, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue, and American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Richard Trumka at a White House event, to unveil the report.

The Department of Commerce and USPTO are unleashing new innovations and new industries by advancing a robust framework of intellectual property protections for a global economy. The USPTO has already implemented eight provisions of the recently passed America Invents Act, which are enhancing the speed and quality of patent processing, connecting businesses with the tools they need to develop their technologies, and speeding up patent applications. Since President Obama took office, the backlog has been reduced by nearly 15%, from about 750,000 to just under 641,000 today. That reduction has come despite the acceleration of American ingenuity, and patent filings in the U.S. grew 5% in FY 2011. By re-engineering the IP system from the ground up, the USPTO is creating a 21st century innovation architecture that’s built to last and will help America remain a global leader going forward.

Patents, trademarks, and copyrights are the principal means for establishing ownership rights to inventions and ideas, and provide a legal foundation by which intangible ideas and creations generate tangible benefits to businesses and employees. IP protection affects commerce throughout the economy, including by: providing incentives to invent and create; protecting innovators from unauthorized copying; facilitating vertical specialization in technology markets; creating a platform for financial investments in innovation; supporting startup liquidity and growth through mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs; making licensing-based technology business models possible; and, enabling a more efficient market for technology transfer and trading in technology and ideas.

Hmm.
Let me ponder this, and will come back to post my thoughts.

AjanleKoko: Hmm.
Let me ponder this, and will come back to post my thoughts.

same thing i thought here! Lolz.

Kinda comes across as too long or too technical, so people are staying away.

Maybe op can give them/us a summary/foothold?

As for me, i dont believe strict Intellectual Property laws can lead to growth of industries in present day Nigeria.

In fact, i believe that companies stand to gain more from espionage for now, at least till they get things right.

Lets copy copy till we learn how to do things well.

yamakuza:

same thing i thought here! Lolz.

Kinda comes across as too long or too technical, so people are staying away.

Maybe op can give them/us a summary/foothold?

As for me, i dont believe strict Intellectual Property laws can lead to growth of industries in present day Nigeria.

In fact, i believe that companies stand to gain more from espionage for now, at least till they get things right.

Lets copy copy till we learn how to do things well.

Actually you don talk am finish.
Look at China, stealing with reckless abandon, and making progress.
The real catalyst for growth that we need in Nigeria is government investment in infrastructure and innovation hubs.
Let government put money in Aba, Computer Village, and whoever is making anything. In fact, encourage people to make things. IP can come later later, maybe our children's generation. For now let's make things.

^ Yes oh! By the time EVERYONE is making things, and the need for differentiation arises, then we might want to consider IP Laws.

For now, i believe such a law will kill/hinder the little "creativity" we have.

yamakuza: ^ Yes oh! By the time EVERYONE is making things, and the need for differentiation arises, then we might want to consider IP Laws.

For now, i believe such a law will kill/hinder the little "creativity" we have.

It will take a long time.
Right now, we need to steal know-how from everywhere, to be able to progress.
Else we are screwed, and will remain screwed. In my opinion, Nigeria is over-regulated sef.

creativity and invention should be problem solving based.
we need to engage in solving internal/ domestic problems first that
will alleviate our creativity and increase the IP law

This reminds me of a discussion I had with some friends a few days back. Essentially, we were trying to figure out the difference between innovation and invention. Sometimes we mix up both terms, i.e. people tend to assume that they mean the same thing. They don't.

While invention refers to creating something new, innovation is all about solving problems with new methods, sometimes, using tools and techniques that are already available. In most cases, our problems in Nigeria are very basic, even man-made at times. Before we can talk about invention, intellectual property, and patents, we need to start to innovate, i.e. solve problems that have been caused by corruption and misgovernance, or just plain lack of opportunity.

One thing is clear, Nigerians are innovative. Some people created 'pure water' to solve the problem of producing drinkable water on the go, Okadas rose to become a viable alternative for road transport in the face of poor road infrastructure. However, these 'innovations' need some level of intellectual input. I remember someone asking why Nigerian engineers haven't been able to improve on the local 'grinding machine'. When you think about it, I have to ask myself why not?

I was out of commission for a few days but I'm back!

While the post below is a lovely attempt to distinguish innovation from invention, it falls short because of the way invention is legally defined. For you to have an invention, your solution has to be novel (innovative), described in enough detail and non-obvious. In other words, you cannot have an invention without innovation. They don't mean the same thing because "invention" is a loaded term that is legally defined - a lot more than just innovation.

The pure water and Okada examples you gave would be an invention if they are non-obvious and falls within what is statutorily patentable. It is not hard coming up with a solution that's novel but a lot harder to overcome non-obviousness by one skilled in that art.

For example, you could try to patent a soccer ball with a microchip in it that allows you to precisely tell where the ball is on the field. However, it would probably be deemed obvious because soccer ball is known and embedding chip in an Ice Hockey puck is known. When you add the two together, you will have what you’re trying to patent.

AjanleKoko: This reminds me of a discussion I had with some friends a few days back. Essentially, we were trying to figure out the difference between innovation and invention. Sometimes we mix up both terms, i.e. people tend to assume that they mean the same thing. They don't.

While invention refers to creating something new, innovation is all about solving problems with new methods, sometimes, using tools and techniques that are already available. In most cases, our problems in Nigeria are very basic, even man-made at times. Before we can talk about invention, intellectual property, and patents, we need to start to innovate, i.e. solve problems that have been caused by corruption and misgovernance, or just plain lack of opportunity.

One thing is clear, Nigerians are innovative. Some people created 'pure water' to solve the problem of producing drinkable water on the go, Okadas rose to become a viable alternative for road transport in the face of poor road infrastructure. However, these 'innovations' need some level of intellectual input. I remember someone asking why Nigerian engineers haven't been able to improve on the local 'grinding machine'. When you think about it, I have to ask myself why not?

yamakuza: ^ Yes oh! By the time EVERYONE is making things, and the need for differentiation arises, then we might want to consider IP Laws.

For now, i believe such a law will kill/hinder the little "creativity" we have.

Are you sure? How about Nollywood? Copyright and Trademark laws fall under IP law. Do you think Nollywood producers would not want to stamp out piracy to increase their ROI? People will naturally flock to any industry with crazy ROI, which in turns increase investment resulting in better products.

AjanleKoko:

Actually you don talk am finish.
Look at China, stealing with reckless abandon, and making progress.
The real catalyst for growth that we need in Nigeria is government investment in infrastructure and innovation hubs.
Let government put money in Aba, Computer Village, and whoever is making anything. In fact, encourage people to make things. IP can come later later, maybe our children's generation. For now let's make things.

China actually enforces their IP laws when they want! Local company vs. local company, they will enforce the laws but local company vs. foreign companies, good luck!

There are ways of acquiring IP without inhibiting our growth. Partner with the company that has the IP, which is what a lot of China manufacturers do when they can’t steal it outright. The government can make it happen by (1) stop importation of the product in question and (2) requiring foreign companies that manufacture the products to partner with local companies. A lot of countries do this especially the Arabs.

South Africa has a functioning IP law that’s enforced. My firm actually represented a South African company that’s trying to sue a couple of American manufacturers for patent infringement. One of them settled and licensed the patent and the other one tried to evade service.

kunlekunle: creativity and invention should be problem solving based.
we need to engage in solving internal/ domestic problems first that
will alleviate our creativity and increase the IP law

Not really sure I understand what you're saying. Internal/domestic problems are not mutually exclusive to IP laws.

We can also leverage on the treasure trove of patents already filed to understand the needed details to build a particular product. I'm not advocating stealing but even if a Nigerian company were to steal/infringe on an issued patent, I doubt the patent owners will sue you unless you become a very big fish that threatens their existence.

Wallie: We can also leverage on the treasure trove of patents already filed to understand the needed details to build a particular product. I'm not advocating stealing but even if a Nigerian company were to steal/infringe on an issued patent, I doubt the patent owners will sue you unless you become a very big fish that threatens their existence.

That makes sense.
At least we can clone local versions of inventions that have been patented elsewhere.