Amman - The Kingdom's copyright and patent process will soon be unified under a national commission concerned with intellectual property rights.
The government is moving closer to establish a permanent national commission for intellectual property to aid inventors and streamline IP policies, according to Khaleel Al Najjar, patent examiner at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
"Currently, there are IP policies for each institution, ranging from the Higher Council for Science and Technology to the University of Jordan. The commission will unify policy in a clear way that entrepreneurs can understand," Najjar told The Jordan Times in an interview yesterday, adding that the governmental body would facilitate the process of obtaining a patent.
He highlighted the upcoming commission's duties during the 4th Annual Conference on Technology Commercialisation, a two-day event sponsored by the Queen Rania Centre for Entrepreneurship and presided over by HRH Princess Sumaya, which gathered IP and technological research experts from across the world.
According to the IP expert, complex application procedures and a minimum one-year waiting period often deter entrepreneurs and inventors from patenting and licensing their products.
"There are guidelines for how to apply for a patent, but there is no help as to what laws apply and what stakeholders are available to assist them in making their patent commercial along the way. This is very important and needs to be addressed," Najjar noted.
The commission, which was outlined in 2006, will consist of public sector authorities such as the National Library and the Ministry of Industry and Trade and would work directly under the Prime Ministry, he said.
Also under the 1999 Patent Law, the Minister of Industry and Trade is given the right to "compulsory license" after four years of patent inactivity, giving away an inventor's right to exclusively license his innovation to a third party if it is decided he has no intention to build upon the patent.
"In medical and technological breakthroughs, it is imperative that inventors capitalise on their innovation for the good of the people, and that's what the law provides for," Najjar said, noting that in times of national emergency, the minister is given the right to license a patent without a time limit.
According to the IP expert, the commission will clarify the compulsory licensing process, as outlined in the 1999 Patent Law, which was amended in 2007 to bring the legislation in line with agreements signed between the Kingdom and the World Trade Organisation.
By Taylor Luck
© Jordan Times 2008
