Abstract:
The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) as a major research Institute is
expected to set the pace and lead as an example in matters of agricultural technology
intellectual property management. EIAR is the first national research Institute in
Ethiopia, which recognized these imperatives and established an institutional
intellectual property rights (IPR) office tasked with managing IPs generated in its
agricultural research system.
The EIAR believes that a coherent IPR policy and working guidelines are important for
the proper management of IPR protectable agricultural technologies. EIAR also notes
that awareness of researchers on a range of IPR issues in its research centers and,
therefore, needs revamping. These guidelines are expected to awaken the research
workforce and other stakeholders on IP matters, thereby, increasing IPR literacy and
incentives. Overall, these guidelines are hoped to direct the mode (way) of commercial
technology transfer in a way that it would better serve the interests of Ethiopian
agriculture and the society. These guidelines would be relevant to all concerned bodies
and important to begin with the new era of IPR regime in the EIAR. The guideline has
all the provisions to be adopted by other partners in the EARS, notably regional
agricultural research Institutes and higher learning institutes.
While promoting this guideline, it should be clear that EIAR would continue using
both the usual public and IPR enabled commercial routes for transfer of its
technologies. IPR protection helps EIAR to leverage access to its technologies
especially by the less-well-to-do sections of the society. In addition, EIAR may solicit
protection of its technologies as a safeguard against unacknowledged use for
commercial gains by entities within and outside the country. IPR enabled licensing of
its R&D outputs may motivate commercial interests to take up the IP and make further
investments into product development.
