Intellectual Property Rights in Tanzania: An Appraisal of the Law and Developmental Issues

Abstract

The ubiquity of intellectual property rights (IPR) makes it a special and an everpresent agenda in various forums and dialogues on developmental issues.
Reflections and debates on the role of IPR are abounds in all fields and sectors such
as education, science and technology, business, agriculture and food security, arts
and culture, and environmental protection. Thus, a proper assessment of the
developmental dimension of the IPR system inevitably requires calibrating along
many fields. This paper investigates possible positive effects of strategic use of IPR
in various developmental initiatives and posits that IPR, if strategically integrated
in national policies, laws, and development programs, have the potential of
triggering social and economic development in Tanzania. The paper deploys a
qualitative and rights based approach exploring the policy and legal framework on
IPR by unearthing the developmental related issues intertwined therein. It has been
established that while currently there is no national policy on IPR, yet there are
various policy statements traceable from scattered policies, hence making it
impractical to have a coordinated national approach on IPR. Therefore, amongst
the interventions, it is proposed to adopt a stand-alone national IPR policy in
Tanzania, followed by a wholesome review of the existing legal and regulatory
framework on IPR to integrate a development-conscious approach and keep
abreast with the recent global trends and developments.