The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) has kicked off its ambitious three-month "community engagement" aimed at educating Liberians about intellectual property (IP) and its role in fostering innovation and creativity.
The groundbreaking initiative, which will see LIPO visit three counties, began on September 2, 2024, in Montserrado County with a complete tour of the nation's capital, Monrovia, and extended to Sinkor, Old Road, ELWA Junction, Red Light, Japanese Freeway, and Bushrod Island.
Leading the awareness drive, Hon. Garmai Koboi, Director General of LIPO, alongside her team, directly engaged with Liberians from all walks of life -- explaining in simple terms what intellectual property is and how each person can actively prevent piracy and promote respect for intellectual rights.
Speaking during the awareness tour, Hon. Koboi repeatedly explained to the Liberians she interacted with that piracy of intellectual property involves the illegal copying and distribution of works such as music, films, and software.
"These actions," Hon. Koboi repeatedly said, "harm the people that create the work by depriving them of their income and weaken our economy by discouraging innovation and investment."
"Every Liberian has a role to play in this fight -- by respecting intellectual property rights and supporting legitimate products, we build a stronger, more vibrant economy that values and protects creativity," Hon. Koboi said as she distributed brochures and flyers during the campaign.
Hon. Koboi noted that the core focus of "our message" was not just to ensure every Liberian understands intellectual property, but also their responsibilities in promoting respect for it.
The ongoing community engagement campaign is one of the core components of LIPO's three-month awareness plan to reach a broader audience and build a society well-versed in intellectual property rights. The goal is to raise public consciousness about intellectual property, encourage the protection of intellectual property assets, and combat piracy, which stifles the nation's creative and economic potential.
The LIPO awareness drive, which will run for three months, also includes initiatives such as the "Intellectual Property Hour" on JoyFM and a "social media influencers campaign". These initiatives have been designed to further amplify the message of intellectual property protection and reach audiences beyond those encountered in person.
The Intellectual Property Hour on JoyFM is a weekly radio program that provides in-depth information on various aspects of intellectual property, featuring discussions with experts, as well as answering questions from the public.
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While the social media campaign leverages Facebook to spread information, engage with the public, and encourage active participation in discussions about intellectual property issues.
Veteran Liberian rapper Amaze, who actively participated in the awareness campaign, said: "As an artist, I've seen firsthand the impact of piracy on the music industry."
According to Amaze, LIPO is doing the right thing by educating the public on intellectual property rights, as an uninformed public will remain a threat since they do not know what to do to promote respect for intellectual property.
The Deputy Director General for Copyright, Hon. Clarence Cole, also noted that LIPO, through its awareness campaign, aims to empower Liberians with the knowledge needed to promote respect for intellectual property "so that every Liberian understands these impacts and actively support the protection of intellectual property," Hon. Cole said.
"This way, everyone can promote respect and safeguard the rights of creators, thus contributing to a more vibrant and prosperous Liberia."
Meanwhile, LIPO during its first engagement campaign on September 2, distributed over 1,000 brochures and flyers across Monrovia and other parts of Montserrado County.
