Happy World IP Day!
Today is the sixth World IP Day. The WIPO site states that:
"World Intellectual Property Day provides an opportunity to reflect on how intellectual property (IP) touches all aspects of our lives: How copyright helps bring music to our ears and art, films and literature before our eyes; how industrial design helps shape our world, and how trademarks provide reliable signs of quality; how patenting helps promote ingenious inventions that make life easier, faster, safer – and sometimes completely change our way of living. "
As a supporter of IP, although not an unquestioning one, I broadly welcome such initiatives. IP often meets challenges from two angles: the first criticising its extreme implications, such as in accessing medicines and TK; and the second from those involved in innovation and creativity who are unaware of IP and what it could achieve for them and their business.
World IP Day, and its suggested initiatives, are of great assistance in addressing the second category. However, some of the day's rhetoric, including that stressing the value of IP in respect of ideas (hhmm thought IP couldn't and shouldn't protect ideas), and the wholehearted assumption that IP does encourage innovation and creativity, is rather unbalanced. Will it serve only to entrench positions in the first category battle?
"World Intellectual Property Day provides an opportunity to reflect on how intellectual property (IP) touches all aspects of our lives: How copyright helps bring music to our ears and art, films and literature before our eyes; how industrial design helps shape our world, and how trademarks provide reliable signs of quality; how patenting helps promote ingenious inventions that make life easier, faster, safer – and sometimes completely change our way of living. "
As a supporter of IP, although not an unquestioning one, I broadly welcome such initiatives. IP often meets challenges from two angles: the first criticising its extreme implications, such as in accessing medicines and TK; and the second from those involved in innovation and creativity who are unaware of IP and what it could achieve for them and their business.
World IP Day, and its suggested initiatives, are of great assistance in addressing the second category. However, some of the day's rhetoric, including that stressing the value of IP in respect of ideas (hhmm thought IP couldn't and shouldn't protect ideas), and the wholehearted assumption that IP does encourage innovation and creativity, is rather unbalanced. Will it serve only to entrench positions in the first category battle?
posted by Dr Abbe Brown at 8:36 am
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