This is a problem of negligence -- and can also be due to ignorance.
Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA) - The Law and Human Rights Ministry highlighted the major and crucial role of local governments in encouraging micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSMEs) players to register their intellectual properties.

"Local governments must strive to bolster the development of existing MSMEs by registering their intellectual properties with the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI of the ministry)," Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly remarked here on Thursday.

Nonetheless, business actors should also have awareness to register their own trademarks to avoid any problems due to disputes over intellectual property rights in future.

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The minister noted that one of the mistakes often made by business actors was neglecting or delaying the registration of their trademarks. Thus, other people, who are interested in the business potential of the brand, get to register the trademark first to the ministry despite the brand not being originally developed by them.

For instance, the brand dispute that erupted between two beauty product manufacturers some time ago.

"This is a problem of negligence and can also be due to ignorance," Laoly emphasized.

Hence, the DJKI of the Law and Human Rights Ministry strives to anticipate intellectual property disputes by conducting several activities, such as holding events for dissemination of information or seminars, establishing mobile intellectual property clinics, as well as implementing "Yasonna Mendengar (Listening)" Program and DJKI Training.

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The activities aim to encourage business actors, crafts persons, and students to know and understand the importance of maintaining and protecting intellectual property rights, including respecting the work of others whose copyrights had been protected.

"The Law and Human Rights Ministry continues to push local governments to ask and remind business actors to register their intellectual properties," the minister affirmed.

He added that by registering their intellectual property rights, the registered products, art works, writings, as well as other creations would be protected by the state in accordance with the applicable regulations .


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Translator: Muhammad Zulfikar, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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