Topic: International Intellectual Property Protection
Country: Côte d’Ivoire
Delegate Name: Nathan Weller
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Côte d'Ivoire position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
Intellectual property (IP) protection is placing patents on creative works, including medicines, trademarks, and art. IP protection is critical to fostering innovation. Without protection of ideas, businesses and individuals would not reap the full benefits of their inventions and would focus less on research and development. Protection of intellectual property (IP) rewards creators or owners of creative works for producing these works. Without IP protection, it is easy for one’s creative work to be stolen, leading to credit being given to another person. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO oversees international treaties governing IP protection. The WIPO currently has 186 member states that are part of the united nations. There are current 6 member states of the UN who are not part of WIPO– South Sudan, Federalist States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, The Solomon and Islands, and Palestine, who currently has observer status. The united nations must address the issue of whether to harmonize IP rights, loosen IP protections, settling on the status quo, or more strictly enforcing existing IP protection
Intellectual Property is an issue in Côte d’Ivoire, a developing country.The Ivorian Civil Code protects Intellectual Property (IP) rights; however, protection of intellectual property rights in Côte d’Ivoire is weak and the GOCI has limited resources for IP protection. Côte d’Ivoire has a law on mandatory registration of commercial names. Côte d’Ivoire believes that IP laws heavily favor first-world countries and stifle development and economic growth within developing countries. Côte d’Ivoire is a member of WIPO, and have signed the TRIPS agreement, which sets a fair playing field for companies operating across national borders. Côte d’Ivoire is also part of the African Intellectual Property Organization, and is signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property. Côte d'Ivoire, due to lack of substantial funds, has had slight problems related to IP rights in the past, although it is not as prominent of an issue today.
Côte d’Ivoire opposes efforts to limit competitiveness of companies within third-world countries. Côte d’Ivoire does see strict IP laws as a threat to third-world countries, as they give most of the power to first-world corporations. Côte d’Ivoire, in order to prevent developed countries from gaining too much power, would like to see the severity of IP laws be limited, therefore giving developing countries like itself a greater chance in competitions for IP rights. Côte d’Ivoire, due to the fact that existing IP laws give the power to larger, first-world countries, encourages the united nations to loosen existing IP protections, to make it more equal for the smaller countries, such as itself, in issues revolving around IP rights.
