Geneva, April 2007
IFIA Executive Committee meeting 2007 was organized in Geneva, Switzerland on 20 April. The following agenda was proposed and approved:
Agenda
- Opening of the session
- IFIA Activity Report
- Financial report and audit
- General Assembly in 2008
- Amendment of the IFIA Statues
- Others
- Closing of the session
1. Opening of the session
The following Executive Committee members were present and the meeting was officially opened by IFIA President, Mr. Vedres:
- Agustine Ong, Malaysia
- András Vedres, President
- Bahk Sang-won, Korea, Rep. of
- Gérard A. de Villeroche, France
- Husein Hujic, BIH
- Idrissa Hassane Souley, Niger
- Joachim Bader, Germany
- Mohammed Al-Khamis, Saudi Arabia
- Wouter Pijzel, Netherlands
Other delegates
- Farag Moussa, Honorary President
- János Szöllõsy, Hungary
- Vladimir Petriasov, Russia
- Pavao Havlicek, Croatia
- Dimitru Pallade, Romania
- Alirezan Rastegar, Iran
- Marijan Stele, Slovenia
- Jameson Hsiung, Taiwan, Province of China
- Vladimir Yossifov, Bulgaria
- Wojciecch Kóleczko, Poland
2. IFIA Activity Report
IFIA President, A. Vedres, provided a report on IFIA activities from May 2006 to April 2007. The main activity of IFIA was the commercialization of inventions. IFIA Office covered the costs and organized the shows of 403 items from IFIA members on 7 international exhibitions.
The other activity was the information. IFIA Office organized 3 conferences about invention and IP protection. IFIA Office published 3 DVD film about the activity. These DVDs were sent to the IFIA members and others. The IFIA web was refreshed weekly. Development of 1000.invention.com database was stopped by technical problems.
The IFIA activity of protest of inventors’ interest was participation on meetings and to issue “The IFIA Declaration 2007”.
The IFIA Office attempted to provide the best conditions for the work of delegates. IFIA Office settled the accommodation for near 100 IFIA delegates and IFIA Office covered the travel costs for the President and 23 IFIA delegates.
In 2006, the following activities were performed:
- April – General Assembly – Geneva (President election)
- May – Belgrade International Invention Exhibition (9/05-1/06)
- IFIA collective invention show, 15 inventions from 4 countries
- Meeting with Governmental leaders
- Participation on “SMEs Innovation Day” (Brussels June 6)
- Participation on SACEPO annual meeting (Munich June 22-23)
- Participation on EU Hearing on patent protection (Brussels July 12)
- August – Taipei International Invention Exhibition & Technomart (31/08 – 03/09): 21 items from 4 countries
- September – IFIA Events in Budapest (9-12/09)
- GENIUS International Invention Fair (Free booth for 207 invention from 19 IFIA countries + 148 Hu items; free accommodation for 50 IFIA delegates)
- IFIA Conference
- IFIA Cartoon and Stamp exhibitions
- ExCo meeting
- ARCA International Inventor Exhibition (Zagreb 19-24/09): 40 inventions from 6 IFIA countries
- October Inventica International Invention Exhibition (Bucharest (3-7/10): 53 inventions of 8 IFIA members
- Participation on Anniversary of SUF (Stockholm 3-5/10)
- European Inventors Network Conference (Stockholm 3/10)
- Tesla Fest, Novi Sad (12-15/10): 50 inventions of 8 IFIA members
- November – IENA Nuremberg (2-4/11) (IFIA Office presentation)
- November – IDExpo (Hong Kong 29-30/11) (IFIA lecture)
- December – Meeting with CAI in Beijing (3-4/12)
- December – SIIF Seoul (7-11/12): 17 inventions of 6 IFIA members
In 2007, the following activities were performed:
- January – ExCo, European Inventors Network meeting and IP Conference (Budapest 21-23/01; free accommodation for 30 IFIA participants)
- IFIA Declaration
- Working Program 2007
- February – Moscow International Salon of Innovations and Investments (6-9/02)
- Participation of IFIA President, IFIA prizes and lecture
- March – IPTEC – The International Marketplace (Cannes 1-3/03)
- IFIA collective booth; Participation of IFIA President, + 4 delegates
Concerning invention marketing
ExCo members: Agustine Ong and Husein Hujic and delegate: Pavao Havlicek expressed that IFIA invention show program was very useful and it was a great success.
Concerning IFIA Declaration
Gérard A. de Villeroche expressed that IFIA Declaration is an important document which shows well the inventor interests.
Farag Moussa expressed that the statement about the acceptation of this declaration by EU bureaucracy on IFIA web: “The Commission of the European Communities accepted IFIA’s viewpoint” is overstatement.
According to opinion of András Vedres the acceptance of IFIA’s viewpoint based on this Declaration is fact. The any disparaging opinion about any IFIA results diminishes our optimism.
3. Financial report and audit by A. Vedres
The IFIA budget (bank account) was received by András Vedres after his election from last May actually. He prepared a financial report concerning his first year working. The incomes were member fees and MAFE contribution to the costs of IFIA activity.
The total of member fees was $25 586 and €2 500 (total in USD: $28 914). The MAFE contribution was HUF15 000 000 (in USD: $81 000). The total IFIA income of this one year period was in USD: $109 914.
The expenses were $12 560, €728 and HUF12 857 196 (total in USD: $77 858).
The balance in USD of this one year period was $32 056.
Farag Moussa proposed to make financial report for auditing from 1st January to 31st December 2006, and a new one from 1st January 2007 to the end of this year and to elect Wouter Pijzel as auditor.
András Vedres expressed, his mandate is no valid before his election, the better financial period which is concern the presidential period, but he will prepare these two documents together.
The ExCo voted for Moussa’s proposal unanimously.
4. General Assembly in 2008
4 members (China, Hungary, Malaysia and Korea) announced presenting of proposals for organizing IFIA GA. The China Association of Invention (CAI) posted its proposal and Mrs. Zhao Yangling, First Secretary of Prominent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the UN Office at Geneva handed this proposal to the President before the meeting.
Vedres outlined the China proposal to organize IFIA GA, IFIA Jubilee, international invention exhibition and conference together with Final of World Cup of CIIs and cultural events in China. The conditions are providing 800 sqm booths free of charge for IFIA members, free conference participation and free of charge accommodations for IFIA leaders. The venue and date will be fixed later.
Malaysia and Hungary withdrawn their proposals, Bahk Sang-won (KIPA) showed the Korean proposal, which was similar to China one.
András Vedres had showed the advantage of CAI proposal which is the simultaneous organization with the summer Olympic Games 2008 in China. Farag Moussa mentioned that KIPA organized IFIA GA recently. The ExCo voted for China proposal unanimously.
5. Amendment of the IFIA Statues
András Vedres expounded that there is no article about “Honorary President” in the IFIA Statutes, but actually Dr. Farag Moussa is elected IFIA Honorary President. Dr. Moussa’s merit is the creation a world wide federation from a small regional inventor’s organization. His long term presidency was determinant for IFIA. Therefore He proposed a modification indicating: dr. “Farag Moussa is Honorary President with unlimited mandate” by the Article 1.
Joachim Bader proposed a modification to indicate “Honorary President” only (without “Farag Moussa”) by the Article. Farag Moussa declared that he can not accept any modification of Statutes concerning “Honorary President”.
András Vedres said: “Moussa’s intention must be law for us” therefore He proposed to delete the amendment of the IFIA Statues concerning “Honorary President”. All ExCo members agreed to this deletion.
6. Others
András Vedres reported applications for IFIA membership: Minnesota Inventors Congress, National Research Council Thailand and Association of Slovenian Inventors, and asked the approval. ExCo approved these new memberships.
András Vedres informed ExCo about awarding the great supporter of invention. He rewarded Andrey Fursenko (Minister of Education and Research in Russian Federation) with “IFIA Humanitarian Award”. Several ExCo members protested against attribute “humanitarian”. András Vedres sad the “Humanitarian Awards” are popular recognitions for eminent persons. He will send information about these kinds of awards as soon as possible, and asked the comments of ExCo members.
András Vedres reported the next meeting of ExCo and IFIA leaders will be organized on 10-11 10-11 August 2007 in Budapest. The conference entitled “How is the Innovation in the Age of Globalization?” International Conference is planned to be organized on August 10, from 10 am to 13 by Hungarian Patent Office. The Lectures include the following topics:
- Innovation and Intellectual Property
- Innovation and Economy
- Innovation and Information
- The Regional Innovation and Global Economy
- Innovation and Universities
“Three Men (Inventor, Innovator and Investor) in a Boat” International Seminar is planned to be organized on August 11, from 9 am to 16 in “Corvin” Ship on the Blue Danube. Keynote lectures include
- Invention, Innovation and Investment (IFIA President)
- Support Systems for Innovation
- Innovation and SMEs
Innovation Examples (IFIA ExCo members, European Inventor Network representatives, Regional Hungarian Innovation Agencies) short presentation (5 minutes).
IFIA ExCo and European Inventor Network meeting will be also organized.
IFIA Office covers the cost of hotel (3 nights, August 9-11) and participation fee for ExCo members, European Inventor Network representatives and speakers.
7. Closing of the session
The President closed the ExCo meeting.