SOUTH AFRICA: IP regulations threaten innovation

A growing number of South African academics, activists and bloggers are calling on the Department of Science and Technology to review draft intellectual property regulations governing public research, saying that they are a significant threat to future innovation in the country, writes Alastair Otter for Tectonic, an open source The regulations, ironically from a department which has long championed free software, would also make it impossible to produce free software as part of any research projects, say opponents of the changes.

The regulations, proposed by the Minister of Science and Technology for inclusion in the Publicly Financed Research and Development Act, section 17, "will result in dire consequences for the research sector in South Africa in particular and all South Africans in general, by stifling local innovation and access to knowledge," says the African Commons project.

A primary concern with the regulations is the importance given to commercialisation of public research. The regulations would make it necessary for researchers and organisations to "assess and report on all research that might have the potential for commercialisation". More worryingly, if universities and researchers decide not to lock down research with intellectual property restrictions a proposed National IP Management Office "will have the right to reassess the decision and if it disagrees with the university, it may acquire ownership of the research and obtain IP".
Full report on the Tectonic site