Creatives urged to protect their work
Berry Heart promotes knowledge in IP in entertainment, arts
The entertainment space is one of the industries that some people still associate with fun rather than view it as a business.
Business woman and artiste, Keotshepile Motseonageng of Berry Heart Creations better known as Berry Heart, notes that there is need for local artistes and creatives to understand Intellectual Property (IP) and be able to protect their brands. “The basic and most important aspect of growing a business is knowing and understanding what intellectual property is,” she said. Intellectual property is all rights associated with intangible assets owned by a person or a company and protected against use without consent, according to Berry Heart.
Different types of intellectual property include; patents, copyright, trademarks,designs and geographical indications among others. Berry Heart encouraged fellow artistes and those active in the business to utilise trademarks in their work. She reminds those in the arts and creatives space that trademarks are a symbol or design that identifies the brand from other competitors. “Trademarks are an important communication tool that conveys intellectual, emotional attributes and messages about the brand,” she explained. She emphasised that with a trademark, it is easy for the business to stand out. “One important factor about a trademark is that it is a valuable asset that appreciates in value overtime. It provides value beyond business, leading the way for expansion from one industry to the other,” she said, further reiterating that
trademarks are a property asset to real estate that can be bought or licensed. This means that they could be rented or leased, as well as used as a security interest to secure a loan. She added that trademarks are easy and affordable to do and they never expire. In 2021 she joined forces with CIPA in an intellectual property awareness campaigns. Towards the eve of 2023 when Botswana hosted the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), Berry Heart was again contracted by ARIPO office and
Africa International Property Rights (AFRICAIPR) for #AFRICAIPR campaign through a South African company dubbed Africa Communications group based in Sandton. ARIPO is an inter-governmental organisation that facilitates cooperation among African states in patent and other intellectual property matters. The AFRICAIPR office on the other hand, ensures that creatives have legal rights given to the inventor or creator to protect their invention or creation for a certain period of time.