Letlhogonolo Moremi is an Attorney, Intellectual Property Consultant and Development Practitioner with a Law degree (LLB) from the University of Botswana and a Master's degree in Intellectual Property and Development Policy (MIPD) from the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in South Korea. Mr. Moremi is a 2022 World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) scholar, and is an alumnus of the Civic Leadership program at the Young African Leaders Initiative - Regional Leadership Center (YALI-RLC) in Pretoria, South Africa.
Mr Moremi is the founder of ParkGrey IP - Botswana's first intellectual property consultancy firm servicing clients in Botswana and abroad. He is a Board Member of the Global Intellectual Property Alliance (GLIPA), an international IP-advancement non-profit that is endorsed by WIPO. He is a former Board member of the Motheo Lawyers’ Mentorship Trust Board of Trustees and currently serves on the Botswana Trans Initiative (BTI) Board of Trustees. He also has over 9 years of experience in various roles in the creative and innovation sectors including as legal advisor, business strategist and project manager. Above all, Mr. Moremi is an ardent believer in the power of creativity and innovation as tools for social and economic transformation, especially within the context of developing economies.
Please share your career journey up to where you are now
The genesis of my career can be traced all the way back to my childhood. I was a child who was very interested in all things science, technology and art. Over time i developed a love for the law, and when I chose to study law I did it with the understanding that it’s a skill I could apply anywhere. Intellectual property law being at the centre point of creativity and innovation was therefore a very clear career path for me.
When I finished my law degree in 2019 I applied to some law firms and was invited for interviews, but many a time I was very insistent that I wanted a role that would prioritise my development as an IP practitioner, however at the time not many such opportunities existed so in 2019 I decided to take charge of my career and open an IP consultancy, and that’s how ParkGrey IP was born.
What stoked your interest in the field of law?
To be able to speak for a cause. I joined the debate club when I was in Form 2 at Tlogatloga Junior Secondary, and I discovered that not only was I a confident orator, but I also quite enjoyed speaking for a cause and doing so with conviction. Law has become an option for me since then. However the choice was only solidified when I was applying for university and decided I needed a versatile degree that would align with my interest, pay me well (lol), and allow me sufficient leeway to enter into other industries at a later stage should I develop such interests at a later stage.
Intellectual property is not a widely understood concept in Botswana. Please explain what it means in layman's terms.
Intellectual property in simple terms refers to creations of the mind. These are the intangible products that result from the application of human intellectual knowledge and creativity. Like any other piece of “property”, IP is an economic asset with ascertainable economic value. Intellectual property rights are therefore the rights the law attaches to these assets to protect the interests of their holders and to facilitate their exchange in the marketplace
What is the value of intellectual to creators and why should they protect it?
IP is “property” like any other and carries ascertainable economic value in the same manner. Like any asset, its value is extracted once it is commercialised and traded in the marketplace. IP law therefore safeguards the interests of IP owners and IP holders to be able to generate and receive and benefit from the economic activity of their IP. In a nascent SMME market like Botswana, IP can be useful source of the value-proposition of entrepreneurs seeking to attract investors or source funding. Having your legal title to your IP increases the strength of the IP, which in turn makes your enterprise attractive to investors as they know the underlying value of your product is ascertainable and defensible against infringement
How does ParkGrey help its clients protect their IP?
We provide a full suite consultancy service that includes IP registration in Botswana and African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) member states, IP asset structuring, valuation, auditing, acquisitions (sale and/or licensing transactions) and advisory services that cover both the legal and business/commercial aspects of our clients’ IP portfolios.
Our readers are mostly in the tech industry where most IP is intangible. Is there a way for them to still protect it? If yes, how?
Yes, and the specific interventions depend on the specific products in question. It is always important to bear in mind that a single product often carries multiple types of IP rights that each have different legal requirements, this is called “IP convergence”. A particular machine, for example, could have a copyright attached to the code, trademark rights attached to the brand and other markers, patents attached to its mechanical components, and industrial design rights attached to its aesthetic design aspects. It is always important to know what you’re dealing with and to consult with an expert to understand the full scope of your rights.
What do you think is the future of IP in Botswana?
Botswana has so much IP that is being produced, traded and infringed upon every day. However, many SMMEs, corporations, creators, innovators and government sectors are coming alive to the fact that all IP is a huge untapped economic resource that could be harnessed for development, and even to solve national problems like unemployment. I am optimistic that if we accelerate our progress on this path we will have a real opportunity to truly transform our economy from a mineral-based one to one that thrives on innovation and creativity, much like the economies that have done so much better than ours without the natural endowments that we have.
Where do you see ParkGrey IP in the next 3-5 years?
We aim to become a global enterprise that drives the development, protection and ethical commercialisation of IP, especially in the developing world. We are growing our internal and external capabilities to service our clients in Botswana and beyond. Through our partnership with international bodies and organisations such as GLIPA, we are working to build IP frameworks that promote creative and innovative sectors, as well as building the capacity of entrepreneurs and SMMEs, government entities and policymakers to position IP as a real resource for economic transformation.
Anything else you would like to add
We are ready and eager to serve! Contact us on +26773715171 or email moremi@parkgrey.com or through our social media pages, or visit our website at www.parkgrey.com