Intellectual Property: Copyright

The Technology Transfer Unit (TTU), at the Office of Grants and Contracts (OGC), at the American University of Beirut and Architree organized a workshop on copyright on March 6, 2009 in West Hall. Architree is a non-governmental organization supporting small and medium enterprises linked to Lebanese traditions, talents and creativity through product development and marketing.
The aim of the workshop was to provide potential inventors and art creators with an understanding of copyright, protection of one’s intellectual property (IP) rights, dealing with infringement, and the importance of IP rights when enforced at the national level within a government strategy. The workshop addressed strengths in understanding and protecting inventors’ creations in optimizing opportunities for the industrial and commercial utilization of IPs.
 
The workshop brought together distinguished experts in the field of IP:
 
Me. Walid Nasser is a renowned lawyer who served as Acting General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association of America. He drafted the newly enacted copyright and patent laws of Lebanon , and acts the legal consultant on IP for AUB.
 
Me. Pierre El Khoury is an associate in Nasser law firm and a lecturer on IP in Lebanese and Canadian Universities.
 
Dr. Fadi Makki had served as Director General of the Ministry of Economy and Trade in Lebanon, and led negotiations for Lebanon’s accessions to the World Trade Organization between 2002 and 2005. He currently works for Booz and Company as part of its Middle East Public Sector and is a lecturer on Public Sector Governance at the Olayan School of Business at AUB.
 
After introductory remarks made by Dr. Fadia Homeidan, Director of the TTU and OGC, Me. Nasser and Me. El Khoury defined copyright, copyright and related rights in terms of protection of original literary and artistic works. Copyright was explained as covering the way we express the idea and not the idea itself, and tackled the issue of copyright infringement.
 
Dr. Makki presented guidelines for a successful & sustainable IP enforcement strategy, emphasizing the importance of IP protection for investment promotion, and concluding on the need for a new approach to combat piracy at the national level and to promote IP protection.
 
Attendants, over 50 professional artists, designers and creators from industry, and AUB faculty members, raised questions and concerns with the lecturers allowing for an enriching and informative exchange.
 
More activities aiming at disseminating IPs in the most efficient and effective way are foreseen by the TTU, in light  of AUB’s mission in advancing the common good through knowledge sharing and in enhancing the national economy.