WIPO plans anti-counterfeit mission to Kenya, Morocco, Philippines

The US government has given funding of $50,000 to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva to help fund a six-month programme in Kenya, Morocco and the Philippines to raise awareness about the risk of counterfeit products. 

The programme, with matched fuding from WIPO, will involve a series of seminars to help local authorities to inform the public about health and safety risks posed by counterfeit products and develop a 'toolkit' that will "help IP authorities in those countries conduct more effective outreach campaigns."

US Ambassador Betty E. King (pictured) said that “trademark infringement and counterfeiting raise very serious health and safety concerns, such as those attributed to counterfeit medicines, food, automotive parts and electrical products.”

She said that IP protection drives innovation and generates economic growth, adding: "Companies and entrepreneurs in both developed and developing countries spend enormous sums of capital on building brands by innovating, ensuring quality control, and through aggressive marketing. This translates into an economic imperative for them to safeguard their investments through trademark protection."

WIPO Director for Communications John Tarpey pointed out that half of all drugs sold on the Internet are counterfeit.