The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) will celebrate World Intellectual Property Day in KwaZulu-Natal this year.

The department will host a media launch on April 16 at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), followed by a road show at the Durban Botanic Gardens on April 24 and a main day event at MUT on April 25.

The celebrations will be addressed by Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi and are being held in partnership with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency, the National Intellectual Property Management Office, the Technology Innovation Agency, Durban Film Festival and MUT.  

The World Intellectual Property Organisation and its members designated April 26 every year as the day on which the world can celebrate intellectual property (IP) as an important driver of innovation and creativity.

This year’s celebration aims to highlight the critical role that IP plays in South Africa’s dynamic music industry, which has experienced remarkable growth in recent years.

Godlimpi confirms that the celebration will bring together experts from academia, industry, students and creative artists to deepen understanding of IP in the music industry and to provide an opportunity for strengthened partnerships among stakeholders.

“The event will also highlight the role that IP plays in protecting the rights of musicians, songwriters, producers and all creatives within the music industry. The objective of the event will also be to motivate and inspire musicians to embrace IP as a tool for their career growth and sustainability in the music industry,” he states.

In South Africa, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation plays a pivotal role in protecting the IP of music creators by licensing music users, collecting licence fees and distributing royalties. The organisation represents more than 15 000 local composers, lyricists, authors and music publishers, administering performing rights on their behalf.