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Re: [kictanet] - don't be a statistic: Ten Inventors who "changed the world" but got a raw deal from their Billion dollar inventions
by Patrick A. M. Maina 30 Oct '18

30 Oct '18

Lets assume you are a popular and reputable doctor practising under your own name and someone cybersquats with your name - and places an ad script on the landing page. Now the google crawler detects your online activity elsewhere and figures out that your name is associated with medicine. So the impersonator's temp landing page gets filled with ads competing doctors (including quacks or even worse). In such a case you'd be able to sue for trade name infringement and take them down. In this particular case, the value (and limited exclusivity) of your name's IP is linked to your popularity, the uniqueness of your reputation and the specific circumstances around the cybersquat e.g. the doctor's example above. The link below has an interesting discussion on whether legal names are IP: https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-my-name-considered-intellectual-prope… (To be clear I'm not offering be legal advice and I'm not a lawyer. Please consult a lawyer for legal advice.) Good evening. On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 8:25:53 PM GMT+3, Mildred Achoch <mildandred(a)gmail.com> wrote: Lkkljj CG Thank you for this. Very informative. So, if my name is my IP does this mean no one should cybersquat using my name? Regards,Mildred Achoch. On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: [long post - but contains plenty of insight nuggets] So we have interesting argument that often comes up in IP discussions... Perhaps a lack of IP protection contributes to the "success" and/or ubiquity of an invention? I've heard this (flawed) argument before and even spent quite a bit of time researching it. What I learned is that defective arguments can sound very persuasive, but they have no basis in fact or logic (though often framed as pseudo-facts or pseudo-logic). Such arguments are founded on simplistic reasoning that ignores the multitude of factors and variables that contribute to market outcomes. The truth is, you have *no way* of telling what could have happened if a popular unprotected invention was patented, so the argument is fundamentally defective and thus pointless. The fact is, the number of commercially successful (and ubiquitous) products that have IP protection is *far* higher than those without protection, and the sale of these products has funded R&D for numerous follow on products as well as newer inventions. Bic biro pen is globally ubiquitous and is a patented product. CocacCola, another globally ubiquitous product is based on the worlds most heavily protected IP. Your (smart) phone, laptop, PC etc contain *hundreds* of patented innovations (hardware/software). The medical field relies on IP protection (otherwise we'd all be in trouble for slow progress on disease management). Your car contains patented products that enhance safety... I could go on and on.. Secondly the defective argument casually brushes off the interests of the original inventor. Does it not matter that the inventor was not rewarded for contributing to the incremental advancement of humanity? If the inventor is from a poor country, it *should matter a lot*. Overwhelming factual evidence shows that in any industry or sector, when the key actors fail to organise for collective benefit, they get exploited by predatory gatekeepers and middlemen. This prevents entire sectors from taking off despite the potential. Music/movie pirates claim that they are popularizing the artists, but the most pirated music/film belongs to artists who were *already* popular, having sunk a ton of sweat and money into marketing. What piracy really does is *deny* the artist income for their efforts and creativity, making it extremely hard (financially and motivationwise) to come up with the next hit. This leads to wasted talent and destroyed potential. No one documents *that*. The music industry in Kenya became profitable after the artists came together to form collective rights management organisations (similar in concept to IP focused Cooperative). Prior to that, artists could be exploited by everyone, especially corporates and media houses. Now, you can be a millionaire with music. This proves that rewarding innovators/IP fairly promotes more innovation/IP leading to a virtuous cycle of growth and prosperity. ICT, Film and TV producers have failed to organize and so they are struggling in an industry that makes numerous (not just one or two) multi-millionaires elsewhere e.g. in Nigeria, India, South Africa (and to a lesser extent, TZ for film/tv). So... when someone uses flawed reasoning to push an argument, it helps to question whether the person is aware that the reasoning is defective, and if it turns out that the person doesn't care, the issue of *motive* (red flag) needs to come up at the back of your mind. Without the exclusivity offered by IP protection, anyone can launch any product and that leads to a downward spiral of value destruction. Did you know that even your name is a form of IP (hence your gov issued certificate i.e. "ID" that prevents people from impersonating you to profit from or harm your brand)? Imagine if 1,000 people with fake IDs report to your workplace tomorrow and claim to be the real you, then demand your job or Salary. How would the employer know the real you? This is why your name (your personal trademark) is protected in law such that even you can't change it without going through a complicated legal process e.g. swearing an Affidavit in front of a magistrate. You don't even need to register a business name if you do business using your own name. Its a legal tradename already. Your fundamental IP. IP protection deters predation and freeloading. It encourages the rewarding of legitimate Innovators and allows everyone associated with them to win, including the entrepreneur, investors etc by giving them a critical and exclusive window of opportunity to recoup their risky investment. Without IP protection frameworks, there is very little incentive to invent, innovate or commercialise. Too much competition, common with unprotected ideas, leads to razor thin margins and no funds for further R&D. To understand this even better, please watch Peter Thiel's Stanford lecture: "Competition is For Losers". https://youtu.be/3Fx5Q8xGU8k Good evening! Patrick. On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 12:39:20 PM GMT+3, Sidney Ochieng <sidney.ochieng(a)gmail.com> wrote: Something we tend to ignore in stories like this is that perhaps because the technology was not patented it allowed it to spread further and faster than it might have otherwise. On Mon, 29 Oct 2018 at 21:54, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote: This amazing article includes "everyday" products/technologies you have probably used recently e.g. Bic biro pen, Segway, Computer Mouse, Polio Vaccine, Fidget Spinner, Karaoke Machine and WWW (hypertext). Can you imagine the inventors got a raw deal? In most cases other people profited from the inventor's brilliance due to failure to protect their IP. Some fascinating takeaways: That magnetic stripe on your debit/credit card: apparently the inventor didn't realize its value and failed to patent the idea. A multi-billion (if not trillion) dollar oversight. Sometimes you just don't know the real potential of your idea/creation and this can lead to disastrous decisions. Especially when a bunch of people in flashy suits tell you that "ideas are worth nothing" - yet they want to meet you in their posh office for hours to hear your ideas. Others hold elaborate competitions with pomp and prestige; offering you a chance to be a celebrity. But hold on, time is money; why would someone spend precious time listening to (or evaluating) "worthless" stuff? Perhaps its not as worthless as they want you to think...? Inventor of LED (light emitting diodes) was way ahead of his time and, though he foresaw a future with LEDs, he didn't take smart steps to ensure that he was part of that future. Now LED bulbs are a billion dollar industry - and he doesn't get even 1 cent in royalty. Just because people don't "get it" immediately doesn't mean your idea is worthless. You could be ahead of the curve and the market just needs time to catch up (which can be months or years or even decades). Only strategic patience (long term thinking) can keep you grounded and ready for opportunity when it finally knocks. If you must, shelve your "failed" idea for another day, and work on others, but *never* *ever* give it away! The Bic biro pen inventor sold his patent for US$2Million, which turned out to be "peanuts" because more than 1 Trillion Bic pens have been sold to date. Due to information asymmetry, that sweet buy-out deal might not be a fair valuation. Resist the 100% offer. Keep a small percentage to get royalties in perpetuity. You cant lose what you never had. Protect your ideas and push back (or walk away) when offered tempting, but strategically lousy, short term deals. Here's the article: 10 Inventors Who Made No Money on Their Inventions | | | | | | | | | | | 10 Inventors Who Made No Money on Their Inventions Meet 10 people who had the spark of genius but weren't able to translate it into a fat wallet. | | | ______________________________ _________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/options/kictanet/ sidney.ochieng%40gmail.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. -- Regards,Sidney | Twitter: @princelySid | Web: s idneyochieng.co.ke Skype: sidney.ochieng | Github: princelySid | -- Check out the Rock 'n' roll film festival, Kenya TV Channel! http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com

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Re: [kictanet] - don't be a statistic: Ten Inventors who "changed the world" but got a raw deal from their Billion dollar inventions
by Patrick A. M. Maina 30 Oct '18

30 Oct '18

This amazing article includes "everyday" products/technologies you have probably used recently e.g. Bic biro pen, Segway, Computer Mouse, Polio Vaccine, Fidget Spinner, Karaoke Machine and WWW (hypertext). Can you imagine the inventors got a raw deal? In most cases other people profited from the inventor's brilliance due to failure to protect their IP. Some fascinating takeaways: That magnetic stripe on your debit/credit card: apparently the inventor didn't realize its value and failed to patent the idea. A multi-billion (if not trillion) dollar oversight. Sometimes you just don't know the real potential of your idea/creation and this can lead to disastrous decisions. Especially when a bunch of people in flashy suits tell you that "ideas are worth nothing" - yet they want to meet you in their posh office for hours to hear your ideas. Others hold elaborate competitions with pomp and prestige; offering you a chance to be a celebrity. But hold on, time is money; why would someone spend precious time listening to (or evaluating) "worthless" stuff? Perhaps its not as worthless as they want you to think...? Inventor of LED (light emitting diodes) was way ahead of his time and, though he foresaw a future with LEDs, he didn't take smart steps to ensure that he was part of that future. Now LED bulbs are a billion dollar industry - and he doesn't get even 1 cent in royalty. Just because people don't "get it" immediately doesn't mean your idea is worthless. You could be ahead of the curve and the market just needs time to catch up (which can be months or years or even decades). Only strategic patience (long term thinking) can keep you grounded and ready for opportunity when it finally knocks. If you must, shelve your "failed" idea for another day, and work on others, but *never* *ever* give it away! The Bic biro pen inventor sold his patent for US$2Million, which turned out to be "peanuts" because more than 1 Trillion Bic pens have been sold to date. Due to information asymmetry, that sweet buy-out deal might not be a fair valuation. Resist the 100% offer. Keep a small percentage to get royalties in perpetuity. You cant lose what you never had. Protect your ideas and push back (or walk away) when offered tempting, but strategically lousy, short term deals. Here's the article: 10 Inventors Who Made No Money on Their Inventions | | | | | | | | | | | 10 Inventors Who Made No Money on Their Inventions Meet 10 people who had the spark of genius but weren't able to translate it into a fat wallet. | | |

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Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out
by JImmy Gitonga 26 Oct '18

26 Oct '18

Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now. Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric. I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world. One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet. Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ... Regards, Jimmy Gitonga @afrowave > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) > From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com> > To: "kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government > Whitebox is out... > > > So what now? > In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an > exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply > at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone > ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity > baiting in poor countries). > Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an > *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. > In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are > made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many > cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will > be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? > This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many > regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned > into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making > authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked > out of own business).? > What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the > sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize > for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely > obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them > (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. > As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea > evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on > this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying > on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would > already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time > nor inclination to judge competitions). > Way forward: > 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us > improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. > 2. Let's build leverage: > a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that > conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered > from the onset as key stakeholders. > b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level > the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this > issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. > c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* > cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and > *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships > with Gov and Corporate entities. > In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity > will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" > after incubation/PoC. > It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP > predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help > create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more > innovation). > We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to > get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an > entity. > [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in > tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would > appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link. > Thanks. > Patrick. > > On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina > via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully > inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. > 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be > starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? > 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It > short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to > individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just > 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at > 1/100.? > This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by > individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.? > > 3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) > you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline > commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of > unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with > an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial > ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King > Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued > at $500M???)! > Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to > unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play > our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have > "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are > career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT > experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who > proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG! > > We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business > negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to > do this. > Patrick. > >

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ICTA Connected Summit 2018 programme: Women Women Everywhere in ICT But No Women To Show Is It A Pseudo-Boys Club?
by WANGARI KABIRU 24 Oct '18

24 Oct '18

Speakers | | | | | | | | | | | Speakers Speakers | | | http://www.connected.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Connected-2018-Detail… Very insightful discussions going on at the Summit, including mentions on ICT Professionals (Act). As its said, water, water water everywhere but no water! Women Women Everywhere in ICT But No Women To Show Is It A Pseudo-Boys Club? Be blessed.Regards/Wangari--- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth".

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Fwd: 2018 African Internet Governance Forum to Convene in Sudan
by Lydia gachungi 24 Oct '18

24 Oct '18

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Gachungi, Lydiah <l.gachungi(a)unesco.org> Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2018, 19:52 Subject: Fwd: 2018 African Internet Governance Forum to Convene in Sudan To: Lydia gachungi <lgachungi(a)gmail.com> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone. -------- Original message -------- From: Directorate of Information and Communication <DIC(a)africa-union.org> Date: 24/10/2018 18:07 (GMT+03:00) To: Directorate of Information and Communication <DIC(a)africa-union.org> Subject: 2018 African Internet Governance Forum to Convene in Sudan *AFRICAN UNION* [image: Description: logo] *UNION AFRICAINE* *UNIÃO AFRICANA* Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 551 7700 / +251 11 518 25 58/ Ext 2558 *Web site: **www.au.int* <http://www.au.int> *Directorate of Information and Communication* *Press Release Nº175/2018* *2018 African Internet Governance Forum to Convene in Sudan* *Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 23 October 2018 *- The African Union Commission (AUC) is organizing the Seventh African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF 2018) from 4 to 6 November 2018 in Khartoum, Sudan under the theme *“Development of the Digital Economy and Emerging Technology in Africa.”* Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) jointly with the Government of Sudan, the 2018 AFIGF aims to be a platform for an inclusive multilateral, multi-stakeholder and multilingual discussion on issues pertinent to the Internet in Africa in general and Internet Governance issues in particular. The African Internet Governance Forum is Africa's multi stakeholder forum of Internet actors. It carries the voices and efforts of the African continent to the global agenda, while ensuring that the benefits of a viable information society accrue to every African. It was formally launched in Nairobi, during the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in 2011. The AfIGF Secretariat is hosted by the African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Forum's website is www.afigf.org. It currently runs social media outlets on Twitter and Facebook. The event is expected to gather 300 participants drawn from government, private sector, academia, research institutions, technical community, civil society organizations, media, and other stakeholders from over 30 countries. Learn more at: https://www.afigf.africa *For further information contact* Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic(a)africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia Adil Suleiman| Senior Policy Officer, Telecom and ICT | Department of Infrastructure and Energy | African Union Commission I E-mail: suleimana(a)africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia *Follow us* Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission *Learn more at: * *http://www.au.int <http://www.au.int> * Directorate of Information and Communication Directorate of Information and Communication Information and Communication *Tel: *+251-11-5517700 *Mobile:* *E-mail:* DIC(a)africa-union.org P.O. Box 3243 | Roosvelt Street (Old Airport Area) | W21K19 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia www.au.int <https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission/> <https://twitter.com/_africanunion> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/african-union-commission-addis-ababa> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/african-union-commission-addis-ababa> This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the addressee and may also be privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee, or have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system and do not copy, disclose or otherwise act upon any part of this e-mail or its attachments.

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Gov’t sets aside Ksh.1B for Kenya mobile phone industry
by Ngigi Waithaka 24 Oct '18

24 Oct '18

Listers, http://kionjo.com/news/client/desktop/newsarticle/Gov-rsquo-t-sets-aside-Ks… GoK to set aside Ksh 1B for the mobile phone industry! Anyone with more specifics on this? -- *Regards,* *Wait**haka Ngigi* Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building T +254 20 525 0750 |Office Mobile: +254 716 201061 | M +254 737 811 000 www.at.co.ke

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Re: [kictanet] Innovators Cooperative Society (Membership and more) - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out
by Patrick A. M. Maina 24 Oct '18

24 Oct '18

Thanks for the heads up Wangari. Btw, listers, I found a good link with a nice overview of the coop movement in Kenya. Some quick FAQ bites: * Not all coops are SACCOS. Many are formed to solve common market access problems, to unlock big business opportunities and to leverage economies of scale, where collective strengths are pooled together for common good. * Coops contribute more than Ksh. 3 TRILLION (i.e. over 40% of Kenya's 7. 4 Trillion GDP). * They employ over 300,000 people (and growing). * Many have capacity to negotiate directly for and deliver big deals with any entity including Governments, corporates and foreign multinationals. There are no middle men (unlike the current ICT landscape) so better wealth creation for members. * They operate democratically and at grassroots level, hence are effective instruments for poverty reduction and economic empowerment of their members. * Profits are distributed directly to members (who also have a say on how the coop is managed). The innovators coop will have some unique strategic features that will give it an extra edge over traditional format coops. https://sokodirectory.com/2016/05/cooperative-movement-shifting-economic-po… Gold nights,Patrick On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 11:08:53 PM GMT+3, WANGARI KABIRU <wangarikabiru(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: Warm greetings Patrick! Yes, crazy proposition is - because certainly half the world would view it as such. Just envision the first African Coffee farmers coop. So save yourself and them too and just move on with your gig, some will catch on to you enroute! Ideas are gold... And even Governments are looking... Presidential Innovation Fellows | | | | | | | | | | | Presidential Innovation Fellows The Presidential Innovation Fellows program brings the principles, values, and practices of the innovation econo... | | | "We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government." The program is currently recruiting for a Fall 2018 cohort to continue this work. Potential new projects include: - How might we dramatically improve health outcomes by creating the world's largest research cohort through the All of Us Research Program at the National Institutes of Health? More Detail - How might we help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs deliver better experiences to our nation’s veterans? More Detail - How might we help the U.S. Department of Agriculture deliver better end-to-end services to its customers? More Detail - How might we help the Department of Transportation leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to make our cities and transportation systems safer? More Detail - How might the Department of Defense better collaborate with startups? More Detail - How might we help the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors better counter global disinformation and become more data-driven? More Detail - How might we help the Department of Commerce create jobs and economic impact by leveraging our federal investments in research and development? More Detail - How might we help U.S. Department of State better execute on policy priorities? More Detail - How might we help the Millenium Challenge Corporation continue to lead the fight against global poverty by empowering partner governments to better leverage data and technology? More Detail - How might we help the USMC modernize all areas of logistics: people, process and technology? More Detail - How might we help the Department of Veteran Affairs deliver more user-centered services and care?More Detail - How can a new Chief Data Officer (CDO) help the U.S. Department of State become more data-driven?More Detail Be blessed.Regards/Wangari --- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth". On Tuesday, 23 October 2018, 21:58:18 GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Jimmy, listers, It can assure you that execution will not be a problem. I have already received a good number of direct initial enquiries and expressions of interest from local innovators across multiple forums (not only ICT but engineering, agri, health / biotech) and they want the co-op launched like *yesterday*! It will be a willing member organisation and each member will be a *part owner* with shares. Founders will get special founding-member shares in recognition of their crucial formative role i.e. believing in the idea and taking the bold steps to make it real. It makes a lot of sense to join early, imo, but that is entirely optional. For those interested, please email me directly (pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com) to express your interest in membership and I will add you to the coop contact list in order to avoid flooding this list. Kindly indicate your location (county) in Kenya and whether interested as well. Interim requirements for members are broad for now (but this could change as we formalize) i.e. must be a Kenyan Citizen and have a creative entrepreneurial mind that is solutions oriented. Where others see problems, you see opportunities. To qualify as a founding official, you must be a Kenyan Citizen, and have an existing innovation that is 100% Kenyan owned. You should also have Gov. documented proof of ownership claim (e.g. patent / utility model / copyright / design model - or proof of application for the same). In all cases, please DON'T disclose any unprotected ideas or trade secrets until we have our constitution and idea protection framework in place. For those who have already messaged me, no need to resend as I'm still going through the messages. I am impressed by the enthusiasm so far which is very energising! Things will move *very fast* in the next few weeks as we formalize and register the organization, so don't hesitate to get on board right away if interested in joining as a founding member or official. Have a great evening. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 5:59:56 PM GMT+3, JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Thank you Patrick for a comprehensive look at the cons of the Whitebox. We have seen so many of these "innovation harvesting" competitions, hackathons and organisations, we should have learnt something by now. Having been part of an award winning team at the Pivot East conference, I can tell you what it takes to "impress" the judges. To get that the winning idea to escape gravity is where the work is. Then, VCs were not serious. I don't know about today. But one thing that has remained the same is the rhetoric. I expect whitebox to spectacularly fail. The guys with good ideas are executing them against all odds. If we don't fix the virtual infrastructure like "idea/innovation protectionism" and get everyone to understand this requires all sectors to pull in the same direction, let us at the very least grow the human capital through the Andelas and Moringas of this world. One day we will build everything here, constantly innovating and iterating to stay ahead of the sharks. Right now, I imagine that trying to bring innovators into a cooperative group is like herding cats. We are not ready yet. Patrick has given us very good ideas. But execution ... Regards,Jimmy Gitonga@afrowave ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:05:01 +0000 (UTC) From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com> To: "kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out... So what now? In my previous message, I discussed Pipeline commoditization, an exploitative model used by VCs / large corporations to mine ideas cheaply at the expense of Innovators, and which relies primarily on "greyzone ethics" application of behavioral science principles (e.g.?opportunity baiting in poor countries). Remember, you are NOT "the chosen one". There is no such thing. It is an *illusion* created to trick you into acting against your own interests. In a given "innovations competition", even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the "chosen one" are terrible at 1/100. In many cases, more than 1,000 submissions are made and it is more likely you will be among the 980 hopefuls who don't get chosen.? This doesnt mean that the "chosen ones" end up with a better deal (many regret) because they often get taken over and the local founder is turned into a "ceremonial CEO"; a pseudo-employee with no real decision making authority and a seriously compromised ownership structure (can be kicked out of own business).? What REALLY happens behind the scenes in such competitions is that the sponsors get a *free* brainstorm of 1,000 creative ideas (the real prize for them), from our best, albeit gullible, minds, while being only loosely obligated to pay a tiny amount ($10K-250K) for a tiny fraction of them (typically 1-20) under conditions if total subjectivity. As many founders have already observed, the concept of "judges" or "idea evaluators" in such competitions is utterly ridiculous. There is no one on this planet who is capable of identifying great ideas/businesses by relying on pitches (or even with the benefit of traction data). Such a person would already?be a GAZILLIONAIRE with his/her *own money* (and hence have no time nor inclination to judge competitions). Way forward: 1. No matter how tantalizing the opportunity, the odds for all of us improve *only* when we *unite* and negotiate with *one voice*. 2. Let's build leverage: a. Innovators ought to be well represented in the boards that conceptualize these ideas / programs so that their interests are considered from the onset as key stakeholders. b. IP policies and laws need to be contextualized and indigenized to level the playing field for indigenous Innovators. Some partial aspects of this issue were very well articulated in a recent article by Dr. Bitange Ndemo. c. The time has come for innovators form a *collectively owned* cooperative society whose primary mandate will be to *aggregate* and *commercialize* indigenous innovations through *licencing* partnerships with Gov and Corporate entities. In addition to direct partnerships with Innovators, our cooperative entity will partner with willing incubators as well, offering a solid "next step" after incubation/PoC. It will act as a formidable shield for Innovators (protecting them from IP predators) which will result in massive negotiation leverage and help create numerous *jobs* as well as *wealth* (which will incentivise more innovation). We can start by forming a core team (abt 3-5 people max) right away, to get started with the formation, structuring and popularisation of such an entity. [Permission is granted to anyone interested in republishing this in tech/innovation blogs, forums, periodicals or media with attribution. Would appreciate if you let me know when you do so and send me a link. Thanks. Patrick. On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2:12:24 PM GMT+3, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Sounds good in theory but in practice our IP landscape is woefully inadequate because it is a copy-paste framework that lacks local context. 1. As a poor country it is a given that most of our Innovators? will be starved for (and thus easy to bait with) capital.? 2. The lure of easy cash / validation is powerful and irresistible. It short-circuits even the most brilliant minds, causing each participant to individually fantasize that he/she is the "chosen one". Yet even if just 100 submissions are made, your odds of being the chosen one are terrible at 1/100.? This is classic *Game Theory* in action where self-interest decisions by individual actors result in a less favourable outcome for all.? 3. When you don't have leverage (e.g. something that *only you* can offer) you can't negotiate. No one will sign an NDA with you. I call it pipeline commoditization. If, by applying game theory principles, a healthy flow of unprotected ideas can be guaranteed, why would anyone sign a true NDA with an innovator? Ideas are not "worthless", they are the most crucial ingredient for execution (otherwise why did cash-rich execution King Waymo/Google go after Uber for alleged theft of AV ideas, which they valued at $500M???)! Pipeline commoditization relies on *brainwash* and *capital baiting* to unfairly swings the odds in favor of capital gatekeepers... Come on, play our idea lottery and Win! Win! Win! Are you "the chosen one"? We have "judges" who have never invented/innovated anything, many of whom are career employees with zero startup experience, which makes them PERFECT experts in judging great ideas/startups. These experts will decide who proceeds to level 2. Gamble with us and WIN BIG! We have to shift this model from a gambling / lottery system to a business negotiation system. My next message will have some concrete ideas on how to do this. Patrick. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wangarikabiru%40yahoo… The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

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Article - Protecting Ideas: The Government Whitebox is out...
by WANGARI KABIRU 23 Oct '18

23 Oct '18

https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/lifestyle/pfinance/Steps-to-guard-again… " While strong arguments may be made for the need to create a competitive environment, there is a counter argument that there is need to reward novelty to originators of ideas by granting some sort of protection for innovating. While this makes sense, the truth is that not all original business ideas qualify for intellectual property rights award. It is interesting that business ideas on their own do not qualify for protection. I have set out a few simple steps through which an originator of “business ideas” can guard their idea without necessarily being given intellectual property rights protection. The first is simply being wise and cautious about your dealings with third parties concerning these ideas. Do not disclose this idea to others without being strategic about it. Premature disclosure could lead to its annihilation or theft. In the event you opt to disclose, then ensure that you have signed non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements. Please do consult a lawyer to assist in its preparation and avoid picking template drafts from the internet. Some are irrelevant to the domestic situation and actually accord you no protection. A message said again and again. So what's still missing Be blessed.Regards/Wangari --- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth". On Monday, 22 October 2018, 00:08:36 GMT+3, Michael Pedersen via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Listers, This is indeed very interesting - however I can't help but wonder how "anchored" this in within the government, anyone know (?) The Open Data project comes to mind as kinda similar project (we will avail what you need - data -> then you will create innovation), however from all I have been able to tell it was and is not very well anchored into the various silos of government - i.e. each institution/ministry was not very interested/motivated in actually availing (let alone updating) data-sets on the portal. Hence I am a little skeptical - lets say you propose a project/concept that involves support from a government arm that is not directly involved in the Whitebox project, how likely is the Whitebox team/organization to actually being able to leverage/convince this 3rd. party government institution to participate in this "new" project that is not in their plans/budget (?) Kind regards Mike On 21/10/2018 13:15, WANGARI KABIRU via kictanet wrote: http://whitebox.go.ke/ Changamka with Sunday gifts for innovators..... WhiteBox is an initiative of the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology and the ICT Authority, geared towards catalyzing the successful growth of local ventures to global, world-class status. The main objective of this initiative is to create a channel for anyone who wants to sell/suggest a product/idea to Government, priority will be given to products that focus on the Big 4 Agenda and address Government priorities and challenges. .... The WhiteBox initiative offers a window into Government wide initiatives; staffed with subject matter Government officers who will offer guidance on the program activities, selection criteria as well as insights into Government programs that the public can leverage on to grow their businesses. We welcome entrepreneurs and businesses at all stages of growth, from ideation to scale and aim to build a collaborative community of entrepreneurs and innovators who will mutually benefit from sharing knowledge and establishing necessary partnerships for success. Be blessed. Regards/Wangari --- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth". _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/michael%40pluspeople.… The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Domain Registration sponsored by www.eacdirectory.co.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wangarikabiru%40yahoo… The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

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Auditor: ICT authority is technically insolvent
by S.M. Muraya 22 Oct '18

22 Oct '18

Priorities, priorities, priorities.. Auditor: ICT authority is technically insolvent https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Auditor--ICT-authority-is-technically-insolve…

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The Government Whitebox is out...
by WANGARI KABIRU 21 Oct '18

21 Oct '18

http://whitebox.go.ke/ Changamka with Sunday gifts for innovators..... WhiteBox is an initiative of the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology and the ICT Authority, geared towards catalyzing the successful growth of local ventures to global, world-class status. The main objective of this initiative is to create a channel for anyone who wants to sell/suggest a product/idea to Government, priority will be given to products that focus on the Big 4 Agenda and address Government priorities and challenges. .... The WhiteBox initiative offers a window into Government wide initiatives; staffed with subject matter Government officers who will offer guidance on the program activities, selection criteria as well as insights into Government programs that the public can leverage on to grow their businesses. We welcome entrepreneurs and businesses at all stages of growth, from ideation to scale and aim to build a collaborative community of entrepreneurs and innovators who will mutually benefit from sharing knowledge and establishing necessary partnerships for success. Be blessed.Regards/Wangari --- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth".

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