WALTER SISULU HOSTS WORLD IP DAY AT IBIKA CAMPUS

Patents, copyrights and trademarks came into a sharp focus on Friday when iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu held high-level discussions around ownership and protection of intellectual property to mark the annual World Intellectual Property Celebration Day at its iBika Campus in Butterworth on Friday.

This globally recognised annual event was co-hosted by the Faculty of Management and Public Administration Sciences (FMPAS) and the Directorate of Research & Innovation through the Department of Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Management and the Office of Technology Transfer to increase awareness to staff, students, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs on the interlinkages of sport, innovation and IP.

Technology Transfer Manager Dr. Ncebakazi Galada welcomed attendees to the prestigious event and reaffirmed Walter Sisulu’s affiliation with the World Intellectual Property Organisation though the National Intellectual Management Office (NIPMO) which was represented by Ms Lindiwe Mashimbye, the Deputy Director of Productivity and Engineering Excellence.

She further explained that the university is mandated by the National Intellectual Property Management Office to host events of this nature.

“These commemorations are done globally, and the main purpose is to create awareness around intellectual property so there are various themes each year and this year the theme is sports”, Galada said.

Speaking on the different ways of protecting intellectual property, legal expert from Spoor and Fisher law firm’s trademark department, Thembokuhle Danca, delved into different types of Intellectual Property varying from patents, copyrights and trademarks.

He sparked robust discussions around “copyrights” for the curious audience in attendance.

Danca explained that “copyrights ownership rests solely on who created the program” before advising students and innovators to keep records of their designs and original copies to prove ownership of their inventions.

The IYunivesiti Walter Sisulu’s Sports Department Coordinator Professor Philani Nongogo expressed his gratitude on the efforts made by all teams to ensure a successful day of celebration and noted the unique challenges that they faced while trying to organise the event.

“I am very excited because we took under a month to organise this and organising under difficult circumstances because the Technology Transfer Office is in Mthatha and we are in Butterworth,” Nongogo said.

He further highlighted the importance of collaborating with other departments.

“I must say that Directorate of Research agreeing to have money circulating within was very important to us, because we used this event not only to create awareness on World IP Day and importance of IP but we made sure that we action that. So, getting students who are studying culinary studies and hospitality to create dishes that ae innovate in nature was very important,” Nongogo added.

As the celebrations drew to a close, students got an opportunity to display their creativity by pitching innovative ideas for prizes.

Out of five students who entered their brilliant ideas, three students were crowned winners for ideas that were cited by judges as having great potential and for being aligned with the day’s theme.

The winners were:

1. Boitumelo Nkosi (B. Accounting Sciences)
2. Sophila Emihle Sweli (FMPAS Department of Management)
3. Lukhanyo Kilivile (National Dip. Fashion)

By Namhla Mbongendlu