Chairperson, the question can correctly be asked: What does a lawyer know about science and technology? But, we as the ACDP will support this Bill as it seeks to achieve the more efficient utilisation of intellectual property, emanating from public-funded research and development institutions, as the title says.
It does this through the National Intellectual Property Management Office and the Intellectual Property Fund and allows for offices of technology transfer at state-funded institutions which are all very impressive and very necessary as it balances commercialisation with innovation, research and development and also determines the scope of rights of intellectual property creators to determine the nature, extent and principles according to which benefits can be shared between the intellectual property creators, the research institutions to which they are affiliated and the organs providing the funders.
During our research, if you excuse the pun, on this Bill, we found the report on the state of patenting by Mr Sibanda, who is a senior patent lawyer of the Innovation Fund, particularly informative. His report evaluated South Africa's performance in terms of intellectual property and highlighted the low rate of patenting in the public sphere. We, as the ACDP, trust that the lessons learnt in the private sector will, where it is applicable, be applied in the public sector to increase the rate of patenting as recommended in his report which, I understand, was well- received by the portfolio committee.
We, as the ACDP, are also pleased that the leakage of our patents overseas and that loss have been addressed in the Bill. Therefore, we, as the ACDP, are pleased to support this Bill. Thank you very much.