27 Apr Innovate for a Green Future – A look at Patents
Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, new ways and methods have emerged in how many transact business and carry on their personal lives. The way we produce and source food has also begun to change.
Creative juices have been flowing and people have found new and improved ways of getting things done. This pandemic has certainly forced many to think outside the box; a positive action flowing from negative circumstances. This is a great thing, as creativity and ingenuity are the building blocks of inventions.
An invention is a new solution to a technical problem. Our Intellectual Property system protects inventions by issuing Patents to inventors. A Patent grants an inventor the exclusive right to manufacture, use and sell her invention for a limited period of time. In essence, the Patent provides a reward for the development of an invention to a point where it is technologically feasible and marketable. In The Bahamas, Patents are issued for a term of 16 years.
In order for a patent to be granted, an invention must be new, involve an inventive step and must be capable of being used in industry. Further, the invention must not have been made available to the public in The Bahamas or elsewhere by means of written or oral description, by use or in any other way before the date of filing the application for a Patent.
This year’s Word Intellectual Property Day campaign encourages consideration of environmentally friendly technology. Inventors are encouraged to ‘Innovate for a Green Future’.
Here are a just few areas that our Bahamian inventors may which to consider:
- Innovations in solar power, wind and wave energy
- Innovations in waste management and recycling processes
- Sustainable food production and fishing processes
- Sustainable fashion –alternatives to solvents, and dyes used in manufacturing
There are of course many other areas to consider. Let’s continue to think outside the box to find new and improved ways to care for our earth.
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