Book Review: Intellectual Property by James Wasula.

Strategy for Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries.

Background

I’m an IT Engineer and as you can imagine, being passionate about all things technology and working in the Technology space requires being aware of the technical and non-technical aspects within the space. I’m enthusiastic about Business Technology Trends, IT-related Public Policy, ISO standards and Business Law among other things.

Growing up, I wanted to do law after losing interest in the military but as time went on, I ended up pursuing Information Technology. Nonetheless, that love for law keeps drawing me to various Business Law, Policy, and Intellectual Property Law related reading materials for which I’ve now chosen to curate and have in my possession books; —

• Intellectual Property: Strategy for Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries by James Wasula
• Intellectual Property Law in East Africa by Prof. David Bakibinga and Dr Kakungulu Muyambala

and intend to purchase a few more books in that line.

Disclaimer

Since I’m not sharing any explicitly new Intellectual Property information but rather giving a review of a book I enjoyed, and making some recommendations, some definitions and examples will be copied directly from the WIPO Portal & Uganda Registrations Services Bureau (Uganda) for reference purposes.

Please make use of the relevant links therein to explore more on the various subject matters where necessary

The Book

Title: Intellectual Property: Strategy for Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries.

Author: James Wasula

Publication Date: August 27th, 2021

Publisher: James Wasula

Book Summary: This book introduces the reader to Intellectual Property, with specific reference to Business Names, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, Copyright and Related Rights, Patents, Industrial Designs, Geographical Indications, and Utility Models and their usefulness as a Business tool, especially for Small and Medium Enterprises in developing economies.

Introduction

The book is meant to introduce the reader mostly entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the Intellectual Property system, what it’s about, how to utilize it as a business tool, and most importantly why its good to be aware of such aspects of Intellectual property as; —

• Business Names,
• Trade Secrets,
• Copyrights,
• Patents,
• Utility Models,
• Trademarks

to mention but a few in the ever-changing Knowledge-led economy.

I found this book particularly very insightful, I even added it to Goodreads so that other readers can discover it and make use of its great wealth of information.

Therefore, this book review will highlight a few takeaways from the book that I hope can entice my readers to go find this book and read it too.

Why you should read this book

• It breaks down various intellectual property concepts and terminologies which you ordinarily would need to research. It also makes an effort to introduce its readers to the various Intellectual property rights that can be utilized widely to gain a competitive edge and stimulate an enterprise’s growth in the global economy.
• This book also explains and simplifies otherwise complicated concepts to the average individual and entrepreneur looking to establish themselves in local businesses (SMEs) and maybe grow from there in both the domestic & international markets.
• The book will help readers appreciate the importance of being able to identify various intellectual property Assets (Tangible and Intangible Assets), how to protect Intellectual Property, and most importantly utilize it effectively to enhance business growth.
• The books also provide entrepreneurs with tips, business advice, and relevant reference to bodies suited to answer further inquiries as well as related local examples readers can connect with as they go about reading the book and implementing their ideas.
• This book in my opinion is a simple stepping stone to the wealth of information regarding Intellectual Property and personally reading it has put me in a position to do further research on my own as I look to establish my expertise in the knowledge domain.
• The book guides its readers with relevant examples on how best to improve a business’s market share in the competitive global economy by building a competitive edge over competitors using the Intellectual property system.
• The book will not only introduce the reader (Entrepreneur) to the purpose of various types of intellectual property e.g., business names, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets but also their applicability and how to legally protect them to yield maximum benefits.

Conclusion

What this article has done is break the ground for Intellectual Property enthusiasts as well as business technologists, and entrepreneurs starting out or involved in SMEs among other endeavors by reviewing the book;- Intellectual Property: Strategy for Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries by James Wasula which breaks down key concepts relating to intellectual property. The review article also shares links that will help you discover more valuable information beyond the scope of this article.

At the end of this book, you should know enough about intellectual Property to either go out there and research more on your own, take some classes on Intellectual property or IT Policy, write about intellectual Property, become an advocate and even explore a career in intellectual Property roles.

Helpful References

• A Brief History Of Intellectual Property.
• An Intellectual Property Management Guide.
• Intellectual Property: Strategy for Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries book.
• World Intellectual Property Organization Portal.
• WIPO Resources: What is intellectual property?.
• Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
• Uganda Registration Services Bureau: Intellectual Property.
• WIPO Standards Handbook.