Montano: TT taking creativity for granted

Minister of Legal Affairs, Senator Danny Montano, yesterday called on local manufacturers to foster a greater understanding of the economic value of the nation’s creativity, both scientific and cultural. Speaking at the Crowne Plaza at the opening ceremony of a symposium on intellectual property and its value to business, in commemoration of Intellectual Property Day 2004, Minister Montano expressed his belief that the country had taken its creative genius for granted for too long, undermining the economic benefits that could be derived. He said, “We are only now beginning to recognise the intrinsic value of what we always took for granted, our music, our art, the works of our inventors. But these things can have tremendous value for our economies and for our society.”

“Trinidad and Tobago,” he continued, “has only fulfilled a fraction of its potential for the successful commercialisation of this creativity.” Advocating the need for a strong intellectual property system to protect both the scientific and cultural creations of the country, Montano also noted that such a system would serve to make the business community more competitive in the globalised market place. Intellectual property, he explained, was divided into two categories — copyright and industrial property, which dealt with inventions, trademarks, new plant varieties and industrial designs.
A proper IP system would create a database of specifications for industrial property, which would be available for use under licence as well as for study and replication with innovative improvements.

However, Montano said, “We have found that there needs to be a greater understanding of the economic value of both scientific and cultural creations of intellect. “We must continue to find ways in which we can promote not only the rate of innovation, but the rate at which we turn such innovation to our competitive advantage and to defend such competitive advantages to be able to maximise returns,” he stressed. He called on local manufacturers to follow the examples of leading international firms, such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft, which have maintained their competitive edge by aggressive marketing and product innovation.

Coca-Cola, he said, was not a high tech company, but its advantage was an image which it has defended against all manner of copycats. Gillette was another company to emulate, since it surrounded its products with numerous patents and industrial designs, which forced competitors to go a long way to escape possible infringement. “Creators and owners need to know how to work the system to your advantage and be prepared to defend your lead,” Montano asserted. “With the continued trend toward globalisation, we can see globalisation as a threat or an opportunity,” he continued. “If we are to compete we must do so with the same level of technology as our competition.”