The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) in conjunction with Anti Counterfeit Network (ACN) Africa has tightened its ressolve to stamp out fake products on the local market.
This is being done through enlightment and sensitization campaigns such as the Agro-input Dealers’ Intellectual Property (IP) Learning and Networking Dialogue organized yesterday under the auspices of the two agencies at Protea Hotel Kololo.
The dialogue was aimed at creating awareness and capacity building for government agencies in fighting counterfeit agricultural inputs, while bridging the gap between those who are affected or affecting the counterfeit space.
The dialogue attracted a sizable number of farmer associations across the country, representatives from Container Village Kampala, members from the Uganda Seeds Traders Association (USTA), experts from Uganda National Agro-Input Dealers Association (UNADA), academicians , policy makers, representatives from state agencies, among others, whose presence was vital in discussing issues at hand.
It was also intended to enlighten participants on the importance of registering Intellectual Property in the field of agri-inputs, equip them with vital knowledge necessary to spot fake products on the market and defuse ignorance about the field related laws vital for safeguarding their inventions from infringement by malignant elements.
Mr. Gilbert Agaba, the Director Intellectual Property at URSB who represented the Registrar General Mercy Kainobwisho, explained the importance of Intellectual Property to participants, with major focus put on breaking down the key terms in this area.
He described to them that Intellectual Property refers to creations of the mind such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and symbols used in commerce, while trademarks are signs or marks that one uses to distinguish a product from other products on the market.
Besides, Mr. Agaba clarified that Intellectual Property rights assist inventors to have access to legal remedies against their competitors who may want to copy their innovative products without necessary authorization, and called for close collaboration with relevant stakeholders like MAAIF, UNBS, URA NDA and the general public to get rid of fake products on the market.
“Counterfeits undermine the confidence consumers have in brands, devaluates research and development efforts, reduces sales and and tax collections,” he told participants.
Also while delivering his keynote speech during the dialogue, Counsel Fred Muwema, the ACN Director for Legal and corporate affairs urged citizens to become vigilant while selecting products to purchase on the market.
He stressed that failure to take utmost caution is extremely dangerous for citizens, which may reduce their respective lifespans and those of their children due to health, economic and environmental repercussions like perilous diseases like cancer contracted as a result of consumption of fake products.
Counsel Muwema urged local consumers to consider sourcing for products from manufacturers to ensure authenticity, or better still contact authorized distributors, and if necessary report cases of counterfeit to police or URSB such that transgressors are aggressively dealt with.
Asked how counterfeit products affect the country economically, Counsel Muwema explained that Uganda suffers when citizens use fake agro-inputs, noting that it endangers food value chains hence a hazard to food security and sovereignty.
“You have seen cases where for example our produce like Maize, milk, beef is rejected. Very soon, Uganda will fail to export anything if we continue using counterfeits because the world is becoming very conscious about health.People are looking for toxins in foods and so on and this will have a destructive effect on agriculture,” he noted.
On her part, Dr. Ronnett Atukunda, the senior lecturer and head of the Economics department at Makerere University Business School, who is also a partner at ACN underscored the importance of the dialogue, saying agro-input dealers and small holder farmers will get inspired to rise up in a higher gear and fight counterfeit products on market using the knowledge acquired, on top of registering their inventions with URSB to avoid losing them to malicious elements.
“Agro input dealers have learnt that when you invent something, you should go ahead and register it and farmers have known that URSB is behind them, they have learnt that if they invent Intellectual Property and someone infringes on them, URSB can help them freely,” Said Dr. Atukuda.
Also while addressing partipants,Ms. Naziwa Caroline the Senior registration officer at URSB said, “Once you register your trade mark, you are given exclusive rights to use that mark in the market and no one can use it without your authority. Once one uses your mark that you have registered, then it becomes a crime and you can take action against the person who has used your product without your authority.”
It should be noted that yesterday’s dialogue sets a center stage for future workshops, trainings and media campaigns intended to enlighten the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, local governments and the populace about intellectual property rights and counterfeit laws, on top of creating an awareness that fighting counterfeit is not only the responsibility of URSB or ACN but also for other relevant players and the general population.
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