Dear Editor – As a concern student, could your esteemed office publish my view concerning Intellectual Property (IP) protection issue in Solomon Islands.
Today creativity, innovation, and cultural heritage are gradually valuable. Our outdated IP laws are failing to keep pace with the needs of our people.
For example, artists, designers, entrepreneurs and local musicians frequently struggle to protect their work from unauthorised use.
Many are uninformed of their rights and some of them who try to register their creations face a slow and expensive process.
Sadly, our rich traditional knowledge, songs, carvings, dances, and stories passed down through generations are exposed to exploitation and manipulation without appropriate legal safeguards.
Due to issues of protection, we need Modern IP system that reflects our unique identity and supports our economic growth.
Therefore, reforms needed and this include the following; accessible registration process for trademarks, copyrights, and patents, legal recognition and protection of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, public education campaigns to raise awareness about IP rights worth considering, and support for local creators to market their work safety and confidently.
Governments efforts to revise our national IP strategy is commendable but we must ensure that these reforms are comprehensive and community driven.
Protecting intellectual property is not just about law but it is about valuing the creativity and wisdom of our people.
Premise on the foregoing, let us build a future for our country Solomon Islands where local people can innovative, create, and share with pride and protection.
Sincerely,
Neverlyn Wanemau
Solomon Island campus
