Behold, The Inter-Agency Anti-Illicit Trade Executive Forum and Technical Working Group

The recently formed Inter-Agency Anti-Illicit Trade clique sounds like it could have been a WhatsApp group. In last Friday’s Kenya Gazette, the Minister at the time announced the establishment and appointment of both an Inter-Agency Anti-Illicit Trade Executive Forum (23 members in total) and an Inter-Agency Anti-Illicit Trade Technical Working Group (24 members in total). The Executive Forum and Technical Working Group are apparently expected to deliver on the President’s Big 4 Agenda pillar of enhancing manufacturing so that the sector contributes 15% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 9.2% in 2016.

Uncertain Future for Reprographic Rights in Kenya as KOPIKEN Collecting Society Registration Not Renewed

In a public notice by Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) published on February 4th 2016, we are informed that KECOBO at its Board Meeting of January 28th 2016 considered the application for renewal of registration as a collecting society made by the Reproduction Rights Society of Kenya (Kopiken). After consideration of Kopiken’s application, KECOBO decided not to renew Kopiken’s registration. This means that as of January 1st 2016, there is no registered collecting society for reprographic rights in Kenya. In this regard, KECOBO in its public notice states as follows: “KECOBO will be consulting stakeholders of KOPIKEN to determine its future sometimes (sic) in March 2016.”

Local Universities To Host Two Patent Drafting Training Courses in August

This August, IP enthusiasts, practitioners, professionals and students will have a choice of two separate patent drafting courses both taking place within Nairobi. The first option is a patent drafting and dispute resolution course organised by Kenyatta University (KU). The second option is a training course on drafting and prosecuting patent applications jointly organised by the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) and Strathmore University (SU) Centre for IP and IT Law (CIPIT). Details of this SU course are available online at the CIPIT Law Blog here.

Here are some of the details IPKenya readers may need to decide whether to attend both courses, or one of the two courses or none of them.

1. Dates, Venues & Duration:

The KU course runs for five (5) consecutive days from 5th to 9th August 2013 at KU’s Conference Centre.
The SU course runs for four (4) consecutive days from 12th to 15th August 2013 at SU.

2. Charges:

The KU course costs Kshs 65,000.00 which includes lunch and teas but excludes accommodation and transport.
The SU course costs Kshs 50,000.00 which includes lunch, teas and training materials. However, participants who register and pay the fee by 2nd August 2013 will enjoy a special rate of Ksh. 45,000.00.

3. Resource Persons:

KU’s course will be facilitated by Eng. Pierre Fuller, MSc. B.Mech, B.Arch – A Patent Agent at Ropes & Gray LLP and Prof. Ethel Monda, PhD in Plant Pathology at KU.

SU’s course will be facilitated by Mr. David Njuguna, Chief Patent Examiner at KIPI and Dr. Isaac Rutenberg, PhD.,JD. at SU CIPIT.

IPKenya would like to encourage everyone to take advantage of this rare opportunity and atleast attend one of these training courses. Any feedback, comments and thoughts on the courses are most welcome via the comments box below or through email at ipkenyan@gmail.com.