Games, applications and software programming is now recognised as intellectual property by the federal government.

The federal ministry of industry, trade and investment made this known in a statement released on Tuesday.

The ministry said a six-year backlog of applications for registration and issuance of certificates dating has been cleared and digitisation of the records of the registries has addressed the problems of missing files and inaccessible records.

The acting registrar of trademarks has also issued the annual report on the implementation of the Trademarks Act and a collection of all opposition rulings in the Registry of Trademarks has been published for the first time in 51 years.

According to Okechukwu Enelamah, the minister of industry, trade and investment, the Nigerian industrial revolution plan, which seeks out alternative sources of revenue, identified a knowledge-based economy as an area to explore.

“The development of a National Intellectual Property Policy for Nigeria was critical; modernisation of the legal framework to capture existing treaty obligations of Nigeria was mandatory; and a needed framework to extend to cover more recent developments like apps, games, programming and other online assets. Most importantly, the administrative regime for IP in Nigeria was due for a dramatic update,” he said.

The reforms involved the separation of the registries into patents & designs registry; and trademarks registry.

Additional achievements made include regular engagement with stakeholders and a speedy feedback mechanism on the status of applications and issues.

The registries plan to shorten the registration waiting period to six months, publish a quarterly publication of journals with an online version, hold weekly sittings of opposition tribunal and engage a dedicated courier company for dispatch of opposition processes weekly.

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel _______________________________________________________________________ LAWBREED NEW WIG SPECIAL OFFER — Give a newly called lawyer a lasting professional gift. Get up to 20% off selected LAWBREED Supreme Court Reports, plus access to My S.C Extra, featuring Supreme Court judgments from 1972 to date. Call/WhatsApp: 08077011741 | 08077011755 | 08077011730 | 08023269613 Email: orders@lawbreed.com | mails@lawbreed.com LAWBREED — Equipping You For Greater Success! _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof

Two leading books on electronic evidence by Hon. Justice Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Rtd., PhD, FICMC, are now available for purchase. The publications, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition), With The Evidence Act, 2011 and Compendium Of Cases On Electronic Evidence, Volume II, 2020–2025, provide practical guidance, legal analysis and recent judicial authorities on electronic evidence in Nigeria.Order directly from the author here: https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/ _______________________________________________________________________

[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials

“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.

Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “How to use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion.” Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.