On April 26, 2018 JNEC faculty, staff, and students along with five officials from the Department of Intellectual Property (DoIP) under Ministry of Economic Affairs observed the World Intellectual Property (IP) Day. The following day, an awareness program, workshop on economic importance of IP and IP database search training was conducted.
This objectives of the two day program were to create awareness on Intellectual Property; provide basic ideas about different IP systems, it’s economic and academic, and research benefits. Further the awareness program was an initiative of Mr. Karma Drukpa, Asst. Professor who have undergone similar training at Stockholm, Sweden.
The program started with the welcome note from the Officiating President followed by reading the message from the Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland by Mr. Tempa Tshering, Head of Industrial Property Division.
Every year the world marks IP day with an intent to learn about the role OF IP rights such as patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright and encourage innovation and creativity. The theme of the World IP Day, this year was, “Powering Change: Women in innovation and creativity” and the campaign was intended to celebrate the brilliance, ingenuity, curiosity and courage of the women who are driving change in our world and shaping our common future.
On this day, the world recognizes creativity and contributions made by creators and innovators to the socio-economic and cultural development in the society and to stimulate a culture of respect for the IP rights. World IP Day also provides an opportunity to reflect on how IP touches all aspects of lives in envisioning:
- How copyright helps bring music to our ears and art, films and literature before our eyes; how industrial design helps shape our world?
- How trademarks provide reliable signs of quality & recognition?
- How patenting helps promote ingenious inventions that make life easier, faster, safer – and sometimes completely change our way of living.
These are some aspect which people takes for granted thus the day is for public awareness and connect between human creativity and IP in daily life. Although most people have heard of copyright, patents, industrial designs and trademarks, many view them simply as business or legal concerns, with little effect on their own lives.
World IP Day provides an ideal opportunity to improve public understanding and respect for creativity, innovation, and the intellectual property system by demonstrating their importance in daily life. The protection of IP rights is basically the protection of private rights but with underlying societal and development objectives.
Contributed by:
Mr. Karma Drukpa, Assistant Professor, JNEC & Mr. Tempa Tshering, Head of Industrial Property Division, DoIP