Michelle
Okyere

My name is Michelle Okyere and I am a Ghanaian qualified lawyer with experience in the commercial and intellectual property areas of law. I completed an LLM in International Trade and Commercial Law at the NTU Nottingham Law School with a distinction in 2019 and obtained the outstanding achievement award for my contribution on the program both as a student and course leader. Following graduation, I returned to Ghana and published an article with Dr Janice Denoncourt based on my LLM dissertation topic in the Oxford Journal of Intellectual Property Special Edition on Geographical Indications. I have been actively involved with the Nottingham Law School (“NLS”) IP Research Group. I am currently back at NTU to pursue a PhD degree in law under the supervision of Dr Janice Denoncourt and Dr Hakan Sahin.

My PhD research focuses on “The Role of Geographical Indication Protection for Non-Agricultural Products in Africa to Facilitate Sustainable Development and Access to Finance for Producers”. This research seeks to answer the question of how GI protection can be drafted and implemented for non-agricultural products in Africa to promote sustainable economic growth for producers. The research uses a comparative analysis of case studies from GIs of non-agricultural products in Europe and Africa to analyse the key considerations that must be taken into account to protect GI non-agricultural products in Africa. It sets out a roadmap for acquiring such GI rights as well as suggestions for drafting of a harmonised African IP protocol and its implementation.

During my first year as a researcher, I have actively participated in delivering presentations regarding the registration of Geographical Indications in Africa. These presentations took place on various platforms, including the African Institute of Fashion in South Africa, the Intellectual Property Awareness Network's Geographical Indications Food for Thought event, the NTU Cultural Heritage Event, the 2023 NTU Doctoral School Festival, and the 2021 SLS Conference. These diverse platforms have afforded me invaluable opportunities to enhance my research skills and expertise, particularly in the fields of intellectual property and sustainability.

Upon the culmination of my research, my aspiration is to qualify as an Intellectual Property solicitor in the United Kingdom. I am committed to continuing the dissemination of my research findings to both academic and professional audiences.

Academic Pursuits and Publications:

• HGF law firm blog post on appropriation of culture v. appreciation of culture (November 2022) https://www.hgf.com/retail-scanner/appropriation-of-culture-v-appreciation-of-culture/
• Okyere M and Denoncourt J, ‘Protecting Ghana’s intellectual property rights in kente textiles: the case for Geographical Indications’ (2021) 16(4-5) JIPLP, 415 https://doi.org/10.1093/jiplp/jpab010
• Presentation on ‘Cultural Appreciation vs Cultural Appropriation’ with Jot Culture on 27 January 2023 https://youtu.be/ANcsK3I391c
• Presentation on ‘Geographical Indications Protection of Kente’ at the just ended Geographical Indications Food for See the blog post regarding this event https://ipaware.org/geographical-indications-food-for-thought-nov-17th-2022/
• Online presentation on the Geographical Indication protection for kente at the African Fashion Research Institute’s online workshop space ‘Voices of the Afropresent” in 2021 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/siviwe-siyabulela-james_decolonize-africanfashion-ghana-activity-6805751297246023681-Qm8j?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
• Online presentation on the Geographical Indication protection for kente at the 2021 Nottingham Trent University Cultural Heritage Event https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/centres/centre-business-insolvency-law