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RonLayton&MegBrindle 1

PART

1TheAfricanIPTrustEffective,supportiveactionbyhighprofileindividualstoassistAfrican

farmersandproducersreceiverightfulandsecureincomethroughtheuseof

IPbusinessstrategiesformulatedbyLightYearsIP.

“Africaisarichcontinentandisbynomeanspoorbutithasnotbeenableto

captureitswealthandgetanequitableshareofitsproduce.Thisprojectis

tryingtodojustthatwiththeestablishmentofthetrust.”

LordPaulBoateng,AddisAbaba,Ethiopia,2010.

5.1 ThePurposeoftheAfricanIPTrust

5.2 TheFunctionsoftheAfricanIPTrust:WhatwilltheAIPTdo?

5.3 ChangingthePowerBalance

5.4 TheAfricanIPTrustandStakeholders:TheMaasaiexample

CaseStudies

Objectives

1) Tounderstandthecreation,purposeandfunctionsoftheAfricanIPTrust

2) TogaininsightintohowtheAfricanIPTrustcanhelpstakeholdergroups

3) ToconsiderwaystheAfricanIPTrustcanadvanceitseffectivenessforstakeholders

4) TounderstandtheMaasaiandspecificstrategiesfortheMaasai

5) Toconsidercasestudiesandinterventions:UgandanSheaButterexample


Ahighlycredible,organizationtosupportandenforcetherightsofAfricanfarmers,

producers,artisansandotherswhoseincomesarediminished,andopportunitieslost,

bynotbeingabletofullyusetheirIntellectualProperty(“IP”)forincome.

ThroughoutAfrica,LightYearsIPresearchhasfoundthatAfricansarelosingabout

$1.4billiondollarsperyeartoforeigncountries,injust14productsresearched.

Asthepiechartbelowdemonstrates,throughoutAfrica,farmersandproducersand

artisansarereceivingjust3‐5%oftheretailvalueofmanyoftheirdistinctive

products.

he African IP Trust seeks to help African producers of distinctive products achieve

better negotiating positions and higher incomes by establishing their IP rights and

managingthedistributionoftheseproductsinforeignmarkets.

HowwilltheAfricanIPTrusthelppoorfarmers,producersandartists?

TheAfricanIPTrustisbasedonpromotingandhelpingAfricanstakeholderstoreceive

incomegainsusingtheprinciplesandfunctionsofIPValueCapturestrategies.

The IPValueCapturestrategiesaredesignedbyLightYears IPandbasedon intense

field research, business planning, andmarket research. Light Years thenworkswith

stakeholder groupsofproducers, farmers, cooperatives, exporters andgovernments

at the trade and ministerial levels to create IP business strategies to enable the

farmers andproducers to receive ahigher shareof the incomegeneratedby the IP

theirproductsholdinfinalmarkets.ThisofteninvolvesLicensingandTrademarksbut

purposestoincludefarmerandproducerownershipofdistributioninfinalmarketsso

thatmoreincomeandmoresecureincomereturntotheAfricans.

Whenitistimeforastrategicintervention,theAfricanIPTrustmemberswillbecalled

upontotakeaction.

T

1.WhatisTheAfricanIPTrust?

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2.WhydidtheAfricanIPTrustcometobeformed?


TheVISIONoftheAFRICANIPTRUST

TobestillustratethetypesofinterventionstheAfricanIPTrustcouldbecalleduponto

make,let’sturntothevisionoftheAfricanIPTrustvisionandhowtheideasof

concertedinterventioncametohelptheEthiopiancoffeesector.

LightYearsIPexiststohelplargenumbersoflow‐incomefarmersandproducersin

developingcountriestoimproveincomeandalleviatepoverty.WefocusonIntellectual

Propertybusinessstrategiestocapturesubstantiallyhigherincomeandimproved

securityofthatincometothecreatorsandowners–thefarmers,producersand

artisans.Ourmethod,calledIPValueCapture,isimplementedbystakeholderswith

widespreadtrainingandeducationtoreachthelargestnumberoffarmersandensure

thestabilityofincomeforfuturegenerations.LightYearsworksinEastAfrica(Ethiopia,

Kenya,Tanzania,Uganda);SouthernAfrica,WestAfricaandtheCaribbean.

LightYearsIPVisionandCoreObjectives:

ThevisionofLightYearsIPwasformulatedbyRonLaytonwhodrewon20yearsofworkingin

development and 15 years in IP business to design IP Value Capture. Many development

solutions fail if increasing production leads to over‐supply and falling prices. In Africa, the

challenge of oversupply is even more difficult for land‐locked countries with high internal

transportcosts.

LightYearsIPfocusesonincreasingincometodevelopingcountryfarmersandproducersbased

on the retailvalueof thedistinctivenessalreadypresent in theirproducts.Thesequalitiesare

assets of the farmers. We develop Intellectual Property business strategies, long used by

westerncorporations, suchas IP toolsof trademarks,and licensing tocontroldistributionand

securepositioning.


TheEthiopianFinecoffeeexample

WhenLightYearsIPsetouttosecuremorefinecoffeeexportincomeforEthiopia,there

wereasmanyobstaclesandbarriersastherearecoffeedistributingcompaniesand

corporations.ManyofthesecompaniesbenefitfromkeepingAfricanspoorbytaking

mostofthevalueoftheirproductsinforeignmarketwholesaleandretailmarkets.

Thesegroupshavelittleincentivetoshedpowerandcontroleasily.

InthecaseofEthiopia,StarbucksbelievedtheycouldcontrolthebrandSidamo,anold

Ethiopianbrand(basedonthelocation,Sidamo,inEthiopia)ofwonderfulcoffee,simply

becauseStarbucksfiledanapplicationfirstunderthelawoftrademark.LightYearsIP,

Ron Layton and his team, alongside the Ethiopian IPOffice challenged Starbucks and

workedhard to secure Ethiopian ownership of Ethiopian fine coffee brands. While a

public campaign took place, it was ultimately the corporation’s chairman, Howard

Schultz,whoconcededprimarilysinceherealizedthatsustainingEthiopianfarmerswas

also good for Starbucks – paying more for the brands would enable the farmers to

continuetoproducefinecoffee.Ultimately,Mr.Schultzconcedednegotiatingstrength.

ThisexampleillustratesthevalueofwhatthenewAfricanIPTrust(AIPT)willdo:Move

importingandretailingbusinesseshandlingAfricandistinctiveproductstonegotiatedue

to the power of high‐profile individuals and to apply social pressures coupled with

mutuallybeneficialsolutions,wherepossible.

2.HastheAfricanIPTrustconceptbeenusedbefore?


TheAfricanIPTrustcouldperformthefollowingfunctionstoenableandassistAfrican

stakeholders:

Concertedletter‐writing

Coordinating Allies – groups of advocates such as OxFam; Students for Fair Trade;

Churchgroups;andthosegroupsconcernedwiththehumanrightsviolationsofpoverty

thatlinkcloselytoproductIPvandalism.

FosteringnewAlliesforthestakeholdergroupsbasedonAIPTmembercontacts

Engaging the African IP Trust’s own networks of support ‐ colleagues and influential

others who may engage in dialogue, education or influence with corporations or

companiesthataretakingprofitsfromIPwithoutrealizingtheIPownership.

Actingasarespectable,organized,coordinatedgroupthattogethercanexertinfluence

uponcompanies

Utilizing its collective skills from a cumulative 1000 yrs. + experience at negotiating

solutionstorecalcitrantsocialproblems

Support and reinforce stakeholders aiming to control brands and other IP and

distribution

Income gains and ownership of IP have been and are being realized. The AIPT will

supportstakeholdersaschallengesaremadetotheirrightsbythesymbolicknowledge

thatanadvocacygroupcarestoempowerlowincomestakeholders

ReducingtheprotractedchallengessuchasintheEthiopiancoffeeproject

Developprocesses fordefiningrelevantstakeholderswitha fairclaimtoownershipof

brandsandotherIPinstruments

Helpstakeholderstodesignorganizingstructures,suitableforeachdifferentsituation,

structuring the groupownership entities fortheir IP (brands, marks, designs, trade

secrets,etc.),intransparent,participatoryandlegallyrobustways

Facilitatemembershipforall,toenablecollectiverightsandownership

Campaignbypersuadingoppositiongroupsororganizations,suchasexemplifiedinthe

Ethiopiancoffeeinitiativeinthesuccessfulstruggleovertrademarkownershipwith“big

coffee”intheU.S.

Negotiateacrossnationalborders,allalongthesupplychain

Providean"umbrella"ofprotectionforqualifyinggroupsofowners,graduallyextending

thistomillionsofAfricans

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3.TheFunctionsoftheAfricanIPTrust


Facilitate the transition from dependency toward IP ownership and improved

negotiatingpositions

REFLECTIONQUESTIONS

PleasereflectontheabovesectionofAfricanIPTrustFunctionsandconsiderwhatareyourown

views.

QuestionsforDiscussion

WhatparticularfunctionspeakstoyourstrengthasanAIPTmember?

Aretherefunctionslistedthatseemincoherentwithyourownvision?

Arethereadditionalsupportfunctionsthatyouwouldinclude?

4. THEACTIONS:Whattypeofactionswill theAfrican IPTrust

taketosupportAfricanstakeholders?

TheAIPTwillprovidesupporttothefarmersandproducersthroughconcertedadvocacy,

including:

• Approachingtheopposingcompanyadvocatingcooperationwithproducersandfocusingon

mutualbenefits

• Assemblingwide‐ranginggroupsoffurtheradvocates,includingsociallyresponsibleallies

andshareholders

• Strengtheningthenegotiatingpositionoftheproducersand,ifrequested,supportthe

producersinpublicdebateontheissues

• WorkingtowardsabalancednegotiationwhichallowstheproducerstocompletetheirIP

ValueCapture(IPVC)strategyandmakesubstantialincomegains,whilethecorporation

realizesopportunitiestobenefitfromstrongerproducers(suchasbeinginanetworkof

licenseddistributorsdoingjointpromotion).

DiscussionQuestion:ConsideriftheAIPTwouldbeaskedtocontributeto

theseactions,whatresourceswouldbeneededtobemosteffective?

ConsideringthefunctionsoftheAfricanIPTrustlistedabove,suchas:

Approachingtheopposingcompanyandadvocatingcooperationfocusingonmutual

benefits.

WhatinformationwouldyouasanAfricanIPTrustmemberneedtoassistyourwork?

______________________________________________________________________________


AssemblingAlliesandgroupsofadvocateswhoaresociallyresponsible?

Whattypesofresourceswouldbeneededtodothiseffectively?

CanyouimaginesomeotherAllieswhowouldbeinterested?

WhattypeofinformationwouldyouneedtointerestthemeffectivelyintheAIPT?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________.

Strengtheningthenegotiatingpowerofthestakeholders

HowcouldyouasanAfricanIPTrustmemberhelptostrengthenthenegotiatingpowerof

thestakeholders?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

WhatdoesSuccesslooklikefortheAfricanIPTrust?

TheAfricanIPTrustwill

positivelycounterthechallenge

amongAfricancountriesthat

viewtheIPrightssystemas

designedandbeingusedagainst

themratherthanfortheirlong‐

terminterestsandthedeeply

entrenchedviewthatfairness

willnotaccompanytheirefforts

howeverappreciablethose

effortsmaybe.

Theharmoniousnegotiationof

IPconflictsituationsinvolving

producersandinternational

corporations.

Advancementinknowledgeof

theeconomicviabilityofIP,

acrossSub‐SaharanAfrica.

Improvedunderstandingofusing

mechanismssuchasbrand

management,licensingand

owningdistributionoutlets.

TheAIPTwillprovidethehigh

profilefunctioningofan

influentialBoardassertingthe

justiceofrightsownership,

publicservantsdeeply

experiencedinadvancingthe

economicinterestsofpoor

people.

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Demonstrableadvanceof

improvedIPfairnesswhereinIP

worksFORAfricansratherthan

against;

Widersuccessinimplementing

IPValueCapturestrategies,with

strongenforcement,leadingto

dramaticallyimprovedincome

stability.

CaseExample:TheMaasai

peoplereceivenothingfortheir

IP.Theirnameisregisteredasa

brandforcars,shoesandother

productsandserviceswithout

theirknowledge,authorityor

benefit.Thissituationis

commonamongAfricantribal,

culturalandartisangroups.

TheAfricanIPTrustwillassist

theMaasaitoreclaimtheirIP

ownershipwithLightYearsIP

andserveasexampletoother

indigenouspeoplegroups.

TASA

TheMaasaiarethefirststakeholdergrouptoseektheassistanceoftheAfricanIPTrust!

BackgroundoftheMaasai

TheMaasai arean indigenouspeople, andoneof themostaesthetically familiar and

positivefacesofAfrica. Theyaretall, independent,proud,andsteadfastdefendersof

theirtraditionandculture. Theyareunique:theyrepresentauthenticity,respect ‘and

strengthandnumberapproximately3.2millionacrosspresentdayKenyaandTanzania.

TheMaasaiCause:

The Maasai name and brand is used to the advantage of many companies to add

millions of dollars of intangible value to their brand, but with neither authority nor

specificadvantagetotheMaasai. Thebrandinvolvesmillionsofdollars in Intellectual

4.TheAfricanIPTrust&theMaasai

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PropertyassetswhichcouldbenefittheMaasai.AccordingtoresearchbyLightYearsIP,

theremaybeasmanyas2.4millioncommercialusersoftheMaasaicultureandname

acrosstheglobewithsuchproductsas:

LandRover

MaasaiBarefootTechnology(MBT‐‐www.mbt‐masaishoes.com)

Maasaiimagesfortourismandadventurecompanies

Maasaired(inpaints,wallcoverings,fabric)

LouisVuittonshoes,handbagsandotheritems

PROGRESSBYLIGHTYEARSIP

FORMATIONOFAMAASAIINTELLECTUALPROPERTYINITIATIVE

During extensivediscussionswith Light Years IP, elders in theMaasai have requested

assistancetoconfronttheoffensiveandinappropriateuseoftheirnameandimage,and

toseekwaystoadvancetheircommunities throughregainingsomecontrolovertheir

iconic,culturalbrand.InOctober,2009,LightYearsIPheldaneventfortheMaasaiin

Washington,DCwiththesupportofCongresswomanDianeWatson,andAttorneysfrom

IPlawfirm,ArnoldandPorter.Duringthesemeetings,plansweremadetoadvancethe

Maasai interests. Since then, Light Years IP has secured a large grant from the UK

charity, Comic Relief, and designed a project called TheMaasai Intellectual Property

Initiative(MIPI)whichseeksredressfortheMaasaiofKenyaandTanzania.Itisaimed

athelping theMaasai to secure licenses;Trademarksand reduce theoffensiveuseof

theirnameandimagetoreturnincometotheMaasaiforcommunitybenefit.

Training:LightYearsIPprovidedextensiveIPValueCapturetrainingin Nairobi, Kenya; Arusha, Tanzania and Distance IP Training, reaching hundreds of

thousandsofMaasai,andtargetedtoreach1.5millionMaasaibythecloseof2012.

StakeholderFormation:AnewstakeholdergroupcalledtheMaasaiIntellectualProperty

InitiativewasformedandregisteredinTanzania.


Research into Commercialized Use: Comprehensive research has been done into

companiesmisusingtheMaasainameandimagebyseniorinvestigativeresearchers

Letters have beenwritten to offending companies, andwith support from African IP

Trust leaders, several companies are poised to publically recognize Maasai as the

rightfulownersoftheirIP

Support fromAdvocates suchas LordPaulBoatengandMarkFlormanof theUK,and

CongresswomanDianeWatsonoftheUS

SupportneededfromAIPT:

LetterwritingtosupporttheMaasaiIPInitiative

Interventionswithhigh‐profilecompaniesmisusingtheMaasaibrand

Intervention when ready to support new Maasai products with high‐profile

companies

AprofileofsupportforAfricanownedIP

As theMaasai achieve respect for their IP ownership, this translates into theMaasai

capacitytoreceivelicensedownershipandwillresultinincometotheMaasai.

heAfricanIPTrustaffectsthePowerandDependencyRelationship

The African IP Trust will work to alter and change the power and dependency

relationship inherent in Africa between farmer/producer and artisans and foreign

importers.

WhyareAfricanfarmersandproducersexploitedandreceiveonly3‐5%oftheprice

valuefromtheirdistinctiveproducts?Theunderlyingcauseoftheselowpricesisthe

poweroftheimportingcompaniesandthemythologythatthispowercannotbe

broken.IPValueCapturecanalterthisdeeplyentrenchedpoweranddependency

frameworkandtheAIPTcanhelpaffectpower.

T

5.PowerandDependency

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Africanfarmersandproducers(A)selltheirproductstowardimporters(B)inthecontext

(C)ofcommoditymarkets,lowandfluctuatingpricesdictatedbyforeigncommodity

markets.Inanypoweranddependencysituation,powerisderivedfrom:

Theproducersperceivedsenseofdependencyupontheimporters

TheavailabilityofalternativesforeitherAorB

WhenAhasmanyalternativechoices,thereislessdependencyandusuallymore

poweronthepartofA

WhenB,thetargethasmanyalternatives,Bcanbemoreselective.

Tochangepower,AhasonlysomanythingsAcando:Influencetheimporters;

ChangethepathwaytowardwhatAwants;LookforalternativeBsasinthecase

ofmarketsanddistributors;affectthecontextofhowgoodsaresold;orbuild

coalitionswithotherproducers

ThisdiagramdemonstrateswhathappenswhenAistryingtoinfluenceoraffectB

alone.Theseconddiagramillustratesthepowerofcollectiveaction,suchasisone

functionoftheAfricanIPTrust.

THEMAASAIINTELLECTUALPROPERTYINITIATIVE


6.RelationshipbetweentheMaasaiIntellectualProperty

InitiativeandtheAfricanIPTrust

IncludeLettertoOffensiveCompaniesandPictures

TheneedfortheMaasaiIntellectualPropertyInitiative:Maasaistakeholdergroup

TheMaasaiIntellectualPropertyInitiativeseekstoacquiretheskillsandmandateto:

Pressurefortheendtooffensiveuse

Issueformal,legalchallengestoregisteredTrademarksusingthetribalname

Registeritsowntrademarksandcopyrights

Pressureunlicenseduserstostoportoaskforalicense

Licensenewusersandassertexclusivitywhereverpossibleinlicensing

CreatenewproductsthatareexclusiveandfullyMaasaiownedforfuturepromotion

andlicensingarrangements.

TheAfricanIPTrustisanumbrellaunderwhichothergroupssuchastheMaasai

IntellectualPropertyInitiativecanfindvoice,strengthenedcollectiveauthorityand

action.

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Exercise:

ConsiderthefunctionsoftheAfricanIPTrustabove.Whichfunctionsdo

you think would be a priority? How do you see yourself being able to

facilitate?

ConsiderhowdotheentitiesoftheAfricanIPTrustandtheMIPIadvance

powerandnegotiatingcapabilityfortheMaasai?

olePlay

Theclasswillformintotwogroups:MaasaiandAfricanIPTrustmembers.Inaddition,

twopeoplewillbedesignatedscribesandobserverstowritedownsomeofthequotes

andobservations.

HalfofthestudentswilladoptanametagwiththewordMaasaionit.

HalfofthestudentswilladoptanametagwiththewordAfricanIPTrustonit.

Over the next 30 minutes, the Maasai will pose questions to the African IP Trust

members?WhatwouldtheMaasaiwantandneedtoknow?

At the end of 30 minutes, we will hear from each group, as well as the scribe and

observerandlistthekeyquestionsandresponsesofthegroups.

Section3:Casestudies:

1. TanzanianSpices

2. Ugandan/S.SudanSheaButter

Summary/Conclusion

1

2R

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InApril,2010, an inceptionconferenceof theAfrican IPTrustwasheld inAddis

Ababa,Ethiopia.Thepurposeoftheconferencewastoconveneagroupofhigh‐

profilehumanrightsandcivicleaderswhoweresympathetictotheexploitationof

African rights, and also knowledgeable about and experienced in intervention

strategies toward theirwelfare. The conference, conceptualized and hosted by

LightYearsIPwasdesignedbothtoeducateleadersinIPValueCapturestrategies

andmethods,andtodiscussandgleanfromleaderstheirviewpointsonhowbest

to move forward on behalf of Africans seeking to advance or protect their IP

rights.

Othergoalsoftheconferenceweretodiscussanorganizingstructureanddefinea

missionandobjectives for theAfrican IPTrust tobeownedbyandmanagedby

Africans. It involves a significant education component, of which training and

stakeholderdevelopmentandeducationiscore.Theinitialgrantwasfollowedby

a second grant for countrywide training in IP Value Capture. Light Years IP has

selected Uganda and Tanzania for countrywide training which is now well

underwayasofSeptember,2011.

7.TheAfricanIPTrust&theMaasai

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