26 April
Most people are aware of intellectual property (IP) - of copyright, patents, industrial designs and trademarks. But many still view these as business or legal concepts with little relevance to their own lives.
To address this gap, WIPO’s Member States decided in 2000 to designate an annual World Intellectual Property Day. They chose April 26, the date on which the Convention establishing World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) originally entered into force in 1970.
The theme for World IP Day 2013 is "Creativity: the next generation".
What is intellectual property?
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind and includes inventions, new plant varieties, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images and designs.
Why protect IP?
The protection of IP rights allows the creators of IP to benefit from their own work and owners of IP rights to benefit from their investment in creation. Risk and occasional failure are inevitable in an innovation economy, but IP rights give entrepreneurs an incentive to keep pushing for new advances in the face of adversity. Protecting IP rights encourages the investment of resources for further innovation and provides an environment in which creativity and inventions can flourish.
How do you benefit from IP protection?
If IP rights were not protected –
- the film, recording, publishing and software industries would not be able to survive
- most pharmaceutical companies would not be able to bring their drugs to the market
- researchers and inventors would have little incentive to continue producing better and more efficient products for consumers.
Get more information on how World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated in South Africa from:
Ms Mavis Nyatlo
E-mail: mavis.naytlo@nipmo.org.za
Tel: 012 844 0215
National Intellectual Property Management Office
Source:
Information on intellectual property in South Africa:
- Companies and Intellectual Property Commission
- Government Services - Registering intellectual property
