World Intellectual Property Day (World IP Day) is annually observed across the globe on 26th April to recongise the importance of intellectual property (IP) rights such as, patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright, in encouraging innovation and creativity.
- The World IP Day also marks the anniversary of the establishment of World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO).
The theme of World Intellectual Property Day 2023, is “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity”.
- The 2023 World IP day celebrates the can do attitude of women inventors, creators and entrepreneurs around the world and their ground-breaking work.
Background:
In 2000, the member states of WIPO designated April 26 of every year as the as World IP Day, with the aim of increasing general awareness and understanding of IP.
- The first-ever World IP Day was observed on 26th April 2001.
Why April 26?
- 26th April marks the day on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970.
- The WIPO convention, the constituent instrument of WIPO, was signed on 14th July 1967 in Stockholm, Sweden and came in to force in 1970 and was later amended in 1979.
Women and IP:
i.According to WIPO data released in March 2023, it is estimated that only 16.2 percent of inventors named in international patent applications were women in 2022.
ii.Women make up nearly half of the global population (49.58%) and represent a huge pool of talent, which remains largely untapped.
iii.Women in all regions are shaping the world through their imagination, ingenuity and hard work, but often face significant challenges in accessing the knowledge, skills, resources and support they need to thrive.
What is intellectual property (IP)?
i.Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
ii.IP is protected in law which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.
Types of IP:
- Copyright – gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time.
Symbol: ©
- Patents – is an exclusive right granted for an invention.
- Trademarks – refers to a recognizable brand, mark or a word or phrase or logo or colour or design, put in a stylized manner, specifically representing the trade for which the said mark is registered
Symbol: ™ and ®
- Industrial designs – process of design applied to physical products that are to be manufactured by mass production.
- Geographical Indications(GI) – used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- Trade secrets– practice or process of a company that is generally not known outside of the company such as s formulas, practices, processes, designs, instruments, patterns, etc.
About World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO):
Director General– Daren Tang
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
