The Ministry of Trade and Industry, Commerce has intensified efforts to sensitise the public on the Intellectual Property Law as a way of curbing piracy, stealing of rights and industrial designs such as trademarks.

There have been cases where people commercialise creations that do not belong to them and keep all the proceeds to themselves while the owners of the creations fail to benefit from their innovation.

In other cases, people copy brands and trademarks or in some cases formulate news ones that are similar to the original and they get away with it as consumers do not necessarily pay attention to detail.

This does not only create unfavourable competition, but leaves consumers cheated as they, unknowingly, buy products that are not original.

Creating awareness about the law will protect the owners of the creations and will let the general public know that it is unacceptable to counterfeit intellectual property, therefore, joining the battle to reject unoriginal work.

Artistes too, stand to benefit as they are often reaped off by traders who pirate their music and sell it to the public without giving them a share of the profits.

Furthermore, user-friendly mechanisms should be put in place to help people register their creations before they are put out to the public and someone else registers it before the original owner.

It is important that innovations are protected and people are duly rewarded for their work.

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