AGIP Participates in the IP Week

Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman & CEO of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) and Vice Chairman of the UN Information and Communications Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF), NY, called for the organization of an international conference on trademarks and the Digital Divide in order to examine a significant aspect of development and human innovation.

This initiative came during the speech he delivered in the inauguration of the IP week, which was held in Amman during 11-14 of August 2003.  Mr. Chairman discussed in his speech, entitled "The UN and the Significance of Trademarks in Bridging the Digital Divide", the importance of the Digital Divide to the trademark community. He also raised the question on how bridging the Digital Divide should take place, taking into consideration its importance in the long-term prospects of Intellectual Property owners and practitioners, including trademarks agents.

Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh elaborated on the concept of Digital Divide, stating that it would appear to be a singular phenomenon and as the name implies, the division between digital "haves" and "have nots".  However, it is more accurately viewed as a collection of divides.

All the global development organizations have embraced the theme of ICT's as an integral part of development efforts, and the overcoming of the digital divides and digital opportunities as primary goals.  The UN ICT Task Force is working in cooperation with the initiatives of all major development organizations, including UNCTAD, the World Bank, WIPO and WTO, the World Economic Forum, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), ICC, and others.

Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh indicated that bridging the Digital Divide will create a larger e-business and enforcement environment and thus enhance protection globally.

Other prominent participants from Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) who also attended the activities of the IP Week were: Mr. Charles Sha'ban, the Executive Director of the Regional Office at AGIP, Mr. Hamelkart Ataya, the Director of Abu-Ghazaleh Legal Services (ABLE), and Mr. Rami Olwan, an E-Commerce Legal Consultant, and many others.

It is worth noting that the IP Week was organized by the Jordan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA) in cooperation with the International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI) in Washington, D.C., with support from USAID-funded AMIR Program.

IP Week was sponsored by the United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, and George Washington University Law School.

IP Week featured key speakers such as: Hon. Ralph Oman, the Former Registrar of Copyrights, U.S. Library of Congress, Hon. Bruce Lehman, President, IIPI and Former U.S. Asst. Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Hon. Judge Randall Rader, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and many others.

IP Week was divided into four workshops (government, business managers, academia, and judges) tailored to the specific needs of entrepreneurs, private business executives, attorneys, and public sector officials.