Minister of Law and Human Rights Says Knowledge About Intellectual Property Makes Indonesia Compete In The Global Market

Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly (left)/Photo: Antara

MEDAN - Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna H Laoly gave his appreciation to 10 governors throughout Sumatra for their contribution in spurring the growth of creativity and intellectual property innovation in the context of national economic recovery.

"Indonesia, especially Sumatra, with its cultural diversity and natural resources, has many excellent and potential products that are driven through communal intellectual property (IP) in order to be able to compete in the global market," said Yasonna at the Roving Seminar on Intellectual Property by All Governors of Sumatra, Leaders universities, and in all districts/cities of North Sumatra in Medan, Wednesday 13 April.

Yasonna said that one of the communal IP regimes that need to be developed and empowered is a product based on Indonesia's geographic potential and known as geographic indication (GI).

"Geographical indications have proven to be a catalyst not only for nation branding but also for supporting a country's economic independence," he said as quoted by Antara.

Minister of Law and Human Rights also gave an example, one of the positive impacts of the registration of Intellectual Property (IP) is to increase the selling value of a product.

"Gayo coffee is Indonesia's first GI product to be registered and accepted in the European Union. Before being registered the price per kilogram was only IDR 50,000. After being registered it became IDR 120,000.

Yasonna said that the potential for communal IP does not only provide economic benefits but also as a potential for ecology, tourism, socio-culture, and most importantly national identity.