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A unique multidisciplinary research by the Open African Innovation Research and Training(Open A.I.R.) revealed that flexible intellectual property rights lead to greater innovation in Africa.
Researchers explored various forms of intellectual property protection such as copyright, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, informal protection, and various modes of knowledge management. Sectors studied included music, leather goods, textile design, cocoa, coffee, spare parts for cars, traditional medicine, book publishing, biofuels, and university research.
The research concluded that for innovation to happen in Africa, a suitable balance between protecting creative ideas and opening up knowledge and information is more appropriate than tight knowledge protection.
Full-text documents with case studies available for free at the Open A.I.R. website.