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IFIA Magazine - Mar ch 2021 |

Until recently, few Moroccan inventors had access to patent experts.
As a result, nearly half of the individuals who applied for patents with
the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC)
found their applications rejected, often based only on formalities.
The team at OMPIC believed these inventors deserved a chance
to have their ideas evaluated on the merits. They partnered with
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to launch the
Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) to help local inventors get expert
advice to navigate the patent system.

Patent experts serve as the soul of the IAP. They donate their time
and intellect to help under-resourced inventors in their country,
from drafting a patent application to corresponding with OMPIC.
Volunteer Mohammed El Harzli describes how the experience has
been gratifying for him, both “because of the exchanges that take
place with the inventor” and as “an action to make our solidarity
with our fellow citizens.”
Since the program’s inception, IAP volunteers have helped more
than 70 innovators in Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco, the Philippines,
and South Africa. Each participating country customized the program
to match its own innovation ecosystem. In the case of Morocco,
OMPIC saw the Inventor Assistance Program as an opportunity to
engage and upskill a passionate group of expert inventors to help
the country innovators.

More info:
https://www.wipo.int/iap/en/news/2020/news_0002.html

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