Musenero tips researchers on intellectual property rights

Dr Monica Musenero, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, has asked researchers to consider intellectual property rights while they develop their new ideas.

Speaking at a workshop on innovations for a new age of the chemical industry organized by Kyambogo University on Friday, the minister described intellectual property as the category of property that includes intangible creations of the human.

These creations, among others, include; artistic, literary, innovative, technical, or scientific creations.

(L-R) Irene Nafuna Muloni, the woman Member of Parliament for Bulambuli district, minister Monica Musenero and Eli Katunguka the Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University walk while the interact. (Photo by Mary Kansiime)

She insisted that for a country like Uganda to lead in the new age of innovations, researchers must have intellectual property rights, which allow them to have legal control over their innovations and ideas.

“Having this property creates wealth and adds value to what you are doing as a researcher, but also has a huge impact on the country. So, if our researchers don’t have that, then it means we have a big problem. Dear scientists, you have a huge role in our country, claim your property as much as you can,” she advised.

Musenero noted that “universities in the country are not doing well in terms of having intellectual property rights for their researchers, and I think we need to wake up.”

Prof. Elly Katunguka, the vice-chancellor of Kyambogo University said it is almost impossible for the researchers to claim their ideas without financial support, noting that many researchers do not think out of the box as they execute these ideas because they have limited funds.

(L-R) Eli Katunguka, Pau Farras, the Project Coordinator at National University of Ireland Galway, Monica Musenero, Irene Nafuna Muloni and Justus Masa FlowPhotoChem Principal Investigator during workshop. (Photo by Mary Kansiime)

He, therefore, emphasized the need for universities to train their researchers on how they can acquire this intellectual property right by starting with establishing centres in the various institutions where experts are placed to guide the researchers to identify areas that need to be protected.

“You remember the issue of covidex that raised a lot of dust, I think the innovator was strategic. I am not sure whether he has legally registered it, but I am sure no one can take it, once an idea is yours, it is yours, and now it is internationally recognized, so I think researchers need to own their property at all costs,” he said.