More than 100 officers of the Liberia National Police are to receive training in intellectual property rights.
By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, Liberia, December 13, 2024 – Over 100 officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) are poised to enhance their understanding of intellectual property rights through a specialized training program organized by the Liberia Intellectual Property Office here.
The training, a joint initiative between the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the African Intellectual Property Organization (AIPO), aims to strengthen capacity of law enforcement officers to uphold intellectual property laws in Liberia.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing on Thursday, December 12, 2024, Garmai Koboi, Director General of the Liberia Intellectual Property Office, revealed that the training program is a collaboration with the LNP.
Koboi discloses a draft agreement outlining the partnership has been prepared, with plans underway to finalize and sign the document.
While the specific dates and venue for the training remain undisclosed, she notes that the initiative would be conducted in two phases.
Phase one will involve online sessions, allowing police and customs officers to gain foundational knowledge of intellectual property rights. This will be followed by in-person training to deepen their expertise in its practical application.
Meanwhile, the LIPO director-general discloses that the police have requested the inclusion of intellectual property rights training in the curriculum at the National Police Training Academy, emphasizing the importance of equipping officers with the necessary tools to combat intellectual property violations.
In another development, she reveals that in the past three months, the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) undertook serious efforts to raise awareness about intellectual property, with a goal of promoting public understanding of the economic benefits of intellectual property to foster respect for intellectual property rights among the population.
According to her, these efforts culminated in a three-month Intellectual Property awareness exercise and a high school intellectual property club competition.
The initiative was conducted in Montserrado, Grand Bassa, and Nimba counties, combining face-to-face outreach efforts, radio programs, an influencer campaign, and distribution of flyers and brochures to ensure that key messages reached a broad and diverse audience.
Outreach activities included providing education covering the fundamentals of IP law, the importance of trademarks and copyright protection, and the potential value of locally created products, brands, and innovations.
“We estimate that in these three counties, we interacted directly with approximately 5,000 individuals through our one-on-one discussions. These personal engagements allowed participants to ask questions, share concerns, and learn how safeguarding their creative works can promote long-term economic benefits for themselves and their communities.”
She continues that they estimate a combined audience of more than 100,000 individuals who may not have been able to be reached physically, saying, “We estimate that a combined audience of more than 100,000 individuals listened to these interviews across all participating stations.”
“We distributed over 5,000 flyers and brochures at local markets, educational institutions, public offices, and among individuals. These materials, designed in accessible language and featuring illustrative examples, provided concise guidance on protecting intellectual property rights and how to seek more information or assistance from the Liberia Intellectual Property Office.”
In total, Garmai estimates that the awareness reached more than 2000 people, when influencer campaigns digitally are added.
She says feedback so far suggests that the public awareness campaign has improved Liberians’ understanding of the basics of Intellectual property. “Thus, many Liberians can now better understand why protecting one’s creative works and innovations is vital.” Editing by Jonathan Browne
