Guest Post: Oscar Montezuma on Innovation, Technology Transfer and IP in Peru

Oscar Montezuma Panez, Cyberlaw and Intellectual Property Attorney in Peru and one of the administrators of Blawyer (in Spanish), has sent to IP Tango a post that might be of interest to our audience:

INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (*)

Renowned journalist Andres Oppenheimer, affirms in his latest book, "Basta de historias", that in certain countries, whose economies depend on exportation of primary products (such as Peru), developed sustained and long term educational policies that were reflected in research, innovation and technology accomplishments, achieving success and prosperity. Applying these experiences to Latin America, the author correctly concludes, the region has a pending task.

The more we invest in education, research and technological development, the more we will be better able to face the global challenges of the knowledge society, states the author. In Peru, we are very proud of openness, economic growth and trade agreements which will bring benefits to our exportation of primary products, but how much are we are doing to develop and export value added products and services with local knowledge and creativity? The answer is not encouraging.

Peruvian economist, Santiago Roca, notes that in the case of Peru, while our trade balance is in surplus over the last decade, knowledge wise the fate run opposite. Peru produces less and less knowledge and continues towards the bottom of international education quality rankings.

A country that invests in education, research and technology and turns it into a competitive advantage must have an adequate legal framework to protect intellectual property. Peru has progressively developed cutting edge legislation, raising its intellectual property legal safeguards and protections to internationally accepted standards. However, with the exception of trademark law, the use of the system of copyrights and patents is not relevant to local creators.

On the other hand, Peru lacks public policies aimed to develop creative and cultural industries (copyright) and to promote research on innovation and technology (patents). Our country remains to be an active importer of creativity and technology and a passive exporter of it. Developing public policies to change this scenario seems to be the appropriate path. What are we waiting for?

(*) Previously published on Diario El Comercio from Peru (Friday, July 8^th, 2011)