Improving services on intellectual property rights and developing a forum for research innovations on forestry in Indonesia

We have the great pleasure in presenting to you the third in a series of five working papers from five Agricultural Research Institutions in developing countries. Supported by the National Partners Initiative (NPI) of the Central Advisory Services on Intellectual Property (CAS-IP) of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), the Centre for Plantation Forest Research and Development in Indonesia (CPFRD) completed a case study on improving services on intellectual property rights at the center level and on setting up a Forestry IP Forum.

IPRs had never been an important issue within CPFRD, due to the general belief among its staff that all research findings and innovation generated in the centre ought to remain in the public domain. Through intensive discussions among the research managers, scientists and supporting staff within the CPFRD, a clearer understanding about IPRs and its potential role in stimulating research and innovation has evolved, and IPRs are now becoming one of the priority issues within the CPFRD. The centre has now developed some initial “IPRs Policy Guidelines”, a manual of procedures for IPRs application, and has initiated a Forestry IP Forum among forestry research institutions and practitioners in Indonesia.

These case studies aim to share country experiences from developing countries in the areas surrounding IP policy making, policy implementation and use of IPRs by researchers for leveraging more benefits to the stakeholders, people, institutions and countries.

The full text can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Post written by Karine Malgrand, Facilitator of the National Partners Initiative for CAS-IP

How did you become an IP Practitioner? vol.4

 http://www.cas-ip.org/?page_id=40

Earlier this year we asked members of the National Partners Initiative group (the NPI)  “How did you become an IP Practitioner and part of the NPI?”

This video clip is the last of the 4 clips filmed during that meeting. It features Nugroho Priyono, Head of Planning Division, FORDA, Indonesia.

Filmed during the January 2009 National Partners Initiative workshop in Mombasa.  Follow lead link for more info about the NPI. Filming and interview conducted by Dede Rohadi from CIFOR.

How do IPRs and IP help public agricultural research in developing/emerging economy countries?

the National Partners Initiative
I’m continuing to blog from the the National Partners Initiative workshop being held in Mombasa.  I have been talking to the participants this week about where they see IP making a positive contribution in agricultural research in their countries.  I wanted to take this opportunity to share on this blog some of the comments:

From Indonesia:
“IP rights encourage scientists to develop their career & innovation.  Patents and copyright provided incentives at a national research centre’ ”

From Malaysia:
“IP helps the potential to commercialize an R&D project.  It adds value to the R&D and indicates a certain quality standard”

From China:
“IP improved income into local breeding institute”

From Tanzania
“breeders work hard to find their own varieties – it gives breeder incentives and boosts their innovation when they have Plant Variety Protection”

From India:
“the grant of USPTO protection in the well-known cases of Tumeric and Basmati changed the face of IP in India.  Law makers were mobilised and sped up the implementation of TRIPS.  This has helped protect traditional knowledge and build livelihoods for producers in India.”

From Kenya:
“IP awareness has an impact on the attention paid to IP clauses in agreements.  It helps parties to understand roles and responsibilities and helps manage risk.  By formalising in this way partnerships are more effective because a mutual understanding is reached.”