Uchenna Felicia Ugwu

Uchenna Felicia Ugwu
  • Doctor of Philosophy
  • PostDoc Position at University of Ottawa

About

9
Publications
6,132
Reads
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11
Citations
Introduction
I am a lawyer and academic, whose research focuses on how to harness patents, PVP, PBRs, data protection and ICT laws to advance development goals like food security and gender equality in developing countries. I apply functionalist approaches, and interdisciplinary research, doctrinal analysis, gender based analysis and impact assessment methods to design contextual IP systems that aid development. My current research project is designing a gender inclusive data protection framework for Africa.
Current institution
University of Ottawa
Current position
  • PostDoc Position
Additional affiliations
July 2020 - September 2020
University of Ottawa
Position
  • PostDoc Position
Description
  • I am a funded post-doctoral researcher on data protection, gender and innovation in Africa with the Open African Innovation Research Project and CLTS. My research focuses on the implications of data protection and ICT regulations for female smallholder farmers (FSF) in Africa. Following quantitative and qualitative data gathering, I will produce best practices, policies and reports on principles to enhance inclusiveness of FSF in IP data and ICT laws. It also involves an externship with IISD.
September 2015 - May 2020
University of Ottawa
Position
  • New and Emerging Research Group Scholar
Description
  • Executor of Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre (P2IRC) project sponsored by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) Canada and Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR) Group, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa; Providing technical assistance to the Government of Canada and academic institutions on digital agriculture, food security and development; Providing expert advice to the Government of Vietnam on undisclosed test data protection for agricultural products.
June 2009 - October 2009
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
Position
  • Student
Description
  • • Research into the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The focus being on legal principles that affect the interpretation of TRIPS provisions and the effective implementation of development and Human Rights (HR) objectives under the TRIPS Agreement • Completed written publications and presentations demonstrating how these legal issues could be used to advance the public policy objectives of developing countries.
Education
January 2015 - June 2020
University of Ottawa
Field of study
  • Law, International Intellectual Property Law

Publications

Publications (9)
Article
Full-text available
In this article, I examine whether the contemporary regional intellectual property (IP) agreements negotiated by West African countries are more suitable than multilateral agreements to advance food security in the region, based on the provisions they make for applying the differentiation principle. In this paper, the term “West Africa” is used to...
Article
This article examines whether the current exceptions to copyright granted in contemporary intellectual property agreements give effect to the user rights to learn. It looks into the nature of the user rights to learn and how it is affected by copyright, technological protection measures, and digital rights management. Critical analysis is made of t...
Article
This article examines whether the current exceptions to copyright granted in contemporary intellectual property agreements give effect to the user rights to learn. It looks into the nature of the user rights to learn and how it is affected by copyright, technological protection measures, and digital rights management. Critical analysis is made of t...
Article
Full-text available
The last two decades has seen intellectual property (IP), increasingly regulated by bilateral and regional free trade agreements, (FTAs), rather than through multilateral forums like the WTO. This trend is evidenced in trade between China and African countries, which is dominated by bilateral trade agreements. In 1989 and 2016, Ghana and Nigeria...
Presentation
Full-text available
The last two decades has seen intellectual property (IP), increasingly regulated by bilateral and regional free trade agreements, (FTAs), rather than through multilateral forums like the WTO. This trend is evidenced in trade between China and African countries, which is dominated by bilateral trade agreements. In 1989 and 2016, Ghana and Nigeria...
Article
Full-text available
This article analyses how international intellectual property (IP) laws of African countries can be utilised as a tool for advancing indigenous innovation and protecting traditional knowledge (TK). It also analyses how international intellectual property laws of African countries can be utilised as a tool for advancing indigenous innovation and pro...
Article
Full-text available
This article analyses how international intellectual property (IP) laws of African countries can be utilised as a tool for advancing indigenous innovation and protecting traditional knowledge (TK) in the following steps: Section I examines the relationship between innovation and IP, with special focus on the contradictions between the definition of...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
This article examines whether the current exceptions to copyright granted in contemporary intellectual property agreements, give effect to the User rights to learn. It looks into the nature of the User rights to learn and how it is affected by copyright, technological protection measures [TPMs], and digital rights management [DRMs]. Critical analys...

Questions

Questions (2)
Question
I am seeking for facts and data regarding the relative cost of solar and other forms of green energy and the adoption of green energy cars, in comparison to fossil fuels in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Details regarding the quantity of power produced by solar cells and the infrastructure needed to distribute such power to rural communities will be useful. With regard to green cars, considering that many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have steady electricity supply, how will green cars be sustainable. I have also observed that most of the factories for green car manufacturing in Africa are being established by Chinese corporations. If you are aware of any rules requiring local content and capacity building in the contracts with African countries (e.g. Uganda, Rwanada and South Africa where the Chinese have signed such contracts) please share.
Question
I'm seeking for direction in clarifying the legal status of other agreements on TRIPS interpretation. Where countries agree on an adopt a policy statement or status on issues such as food security and the environment, are such documents relevant to be considered as subsequent agreements in the interpretation of IP regulations?