The Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) hosted World Intellectual Property (WIP) Day celebrations on 26^th April 2014 at the Strathmore Law School, Nairobi, Kenya. Co-hosting the events were IP CheckIn, Kikao IP, and Strathmore Law School.

 

The theme of WIP Day 2014, as selected by the World Intellectual Property Organization, was “Movies – A Global Passion.” A variety of events in line with this theme were selected in order to introduce attendees to the growing film industry in Kenya, as well as to Intellectual Property issues generally.

 

The events featured The Forum, a roundtable and panel discussion on the movie industry in Kenya. Participating organizations included the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), Kenya Film Commission and Kenya Film Classification Board. Copyright lawyer and singer June Gachui was among the distinguished guests and presenters.

 

Throughout the day, attendees were able to visit The Pavilion, a tented area where exhibitors showcased the IP services they provide and carried out public outreach activities.

 

The celebrations also included the 1^st Annual Intellectual Property Law Moot Court Competition. The Moot competition provided a platform for exposing law students and observers to practical Intellectual Property Rights law, and was the first of its kind in Kenya. The Moot competition attracted eight teams from five law schools, and was judged by 12 judges included judges from the High Court and Appeals Court of Kenya, renowned Kenyan lawyers in the field of IP Law, and academics in IP Law. After a preliminary round, a semifinal round, and the final round, the team from Riara University Law School emerged as the best team in the competition.

 

After the conclusion of the Moot competition, the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Dr. Willy Mutunga, awarded prizes to the best performers in the competition and encouraged the students to maintain the knowledge momentum. Prizes included a tablet (for the best Orator), subscriptions to law journals, movie tickets, and internships at CIPIT.

 

Additional prizes were awarded via a raffle to attendees of the WIP Day events, and were presented to the winners by Dr. Willy Mutunga. Such prizes included wine, IMAX tickets, movie tickets, sporting equipment, and a copy of the movie Nairobi Half Life.

 

The WIP Day events concluded with a free movie screening sponsored by the United States Embassy, with refreshments provided as a fundraising effort by the internationally renowned organization Akili Dada.

 

The Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) is an innovative Centre for training and evidence-based research in intellectual property and information technology law and policy. As a leading institute in the training of Intellectual Property matters CIPIT will continue to host events such as the Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition and WIP Day celebrations with the goal of fostering knowledge in Intellectual Property Rights.

 

For enquiries contact:

 

CIPIT	CIPIT@strathmore.edu	Mobile: (254-0703)	034601
Strathmore Law School	www.cipit.org	Tel: (254-0705)	630310
PO Box 59857-00200		Fax: (254-20) 6007498
Nairobi, Kenya