The Companies and IP Commission (CIPC) and National
IP Management Office (NIPMO) of South Africa will be co-sponsoring a conference
on "Creating and Leveraging Intellectual Property in Developing Countries: A Power Tool for Social and
Economic Growth" on November 17-20, 2013 in Durban, South Africa.  The conference follows on from the successful
meeting of the BRICS Heads of Patent Offices in Durban in May 2013, and comes
at an important time — not just in the progress of South Africa, but
throughout all of Africa, as well as the BRICS nations, as the countries work
to shape the future of IP.

Highlights of the conference include:

• An opening Ministerial Round Table on "The
Strategic Use of IP in Emerging Economies," featuring two Ministers in the
cabinet of President Jacob Zuma: Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, Republic
of South Africa, and Derek Hanekom, Minister of Science and Technology

• Representatives of the BRICS Head of IP Offices
will discuss "The Effect of the National Patent System on the Perceived
Investment Value of a Patent."

• In addition to senior officials from the South
African government, the conference will be attended by international key
government, organization, industrial and academic leaders from Africa and other
BRICS countries, as well as the U.S. and Europe, to form a fertile environment
for discussion, networking, and relationships.

Additional information regarding the conference can
be found here or at the conference website.

Patent Docs is a media partner of the conference on Creating and Leveraging Intellectual Property in Developing Countries.