Morocco’s Minister of Culture Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid met with Director of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Daren Tang, and highlighted Moroccan initiatives in international multilateral cooperation in various fields, including the protection of intellectual property and cultural heritage–and in particular Zellij (mosaic)–on Tuesday in Geneva, said the Ministry’s release.
Morocco has undertaken a number of projects to protect and preserve its cultural heritage, beginning with the institutionalization of the Morocco Label and the preparation of a new legal text on cultural heritage, and strengthening the institutional apparatus of the Moroccan Copyright Office (BMDA) as a public institution, as well as fortifying the legal arsenal on the right of traceability and authors’ rights, all of which comprise the Ministry’s responsibility.
Bensaid outlined a number of reforms that Morocco is undertaking in the field of intellectual property protection and the protection and preservation of cultural heritage–both tangible and intangible–a project that the Culture Ministry is working on with a number of other governmental sectors, while strengthening Morocco’s presence in the relevant international bodies, primarily UNESCO.
The two parties also discussed the video game industry and Morocco’s efforts to engage in the international market that generates more than 300 million dollars in revenue. Clearly, this constitutes a pivotal sector of the economy in which the Kingdom has engaged–which no doubt will enable Moroccan energies and competencies to obtain economic integration opportunities in this field–purportedly through the establishment of a city specifically designated to showcase the developments of the video game industry and the International Exhibition for the Video Game Industry to be organized next May.
Tang praised Morocco for its efforts in the field of intellectual protection and intellectual property, adding that Morocco is one of the leading countries in this field at the global level.
He added that cooperation between WIPO and Morocco is progressing, expressing his appreciation for the results of his recent visit to Morocco and his aspiration to strengthen this joint venture.
Tang elaborated in explaining precisely how the WIPO supports Morocco in preserving and maintaining the art of living and intangible cultural heritage, as Morocco had already submitted the art of Zellij with WIPO for approval in 2016, the registration of which rendered an ensuing international recognition of this Moroccan art form.
The two parties agreed to continue coordination and to sign a joint memorandum of understanding in July in conjunction with the WIPO General Assembly, an agreement which will strengthen joint collaboration between Morocco and WIPO.