Intellectual property (IP), as the name suggests, refers to creations of the mind, the most popular of which include trademarks, patents, copyright and geographical indications. In today’s competing markets, intellectual property protection is key to safeguard the rights (IPRs) of creators, inventors and owners alike and to ensure that different aspects of businesses, such as brand names, logos, designs and inventions get the protection they deserve.
In the year 2000, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) designated the 26th of April - being the date in which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970 – as World Intellectual Property Day, which has come to be celebrated annually by all stakeholders alike. The intention behind World IP Day is to raise holistic awareness and understanding of IP in our day-to-day lives. After having recently celebrated Earth Day, the WIPO announced that the theme behind this year’s World IP Day is: "IP and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Building our common future with innovation and creativity".
In 2015, the United Nations set out 17 SDGs, which are intended to address the ongoing climate change crisis, combat inequality and end poverty. To name just a few, the themes of the SDGs range from responsible consumption and production, good health and well-being, affordable clean energy and water, and sanitation.
IP rights certainly have an integral and invaluable role to play in realising the SDGs as the SDGs encourage creators to explore innovative ways to create solutions to help achieve the particular SDG in question. By way of an example, SDG 14, which relates to the conservation and sustainability of our oceans, seas and marine resources, provides incentives for inventors to explore new ways in which they can help keep our oceans free from plastic pollution and ocean acidification by creating and patenting new inventions to help achieve this goal. On the other hand, SDG 2, which revolves around ending world hunger, may motivate creators to come up with new devices that may help in promoting better sustainable agriculture.
Furthermore, enhanced competitiveness between inventors to create new inventions to help realise the SDGs will also help to bring about more economic growth and job opportunities in the market and, in turn, helps with realising SDG 8, which focuses on decent work and economic growth.
Undoubtedly, the link-up between IP rights and SDGs for this year’s World IP Day will help pave the way forward in bringing new ideas to the surface that may be key to fostering innovation and creating solutions for the social and environmental issues we all commonly face.
Found this interesting? Our IP advisor, Dr. Clint Meli Sciberras, is available to answer your IP questions.
Dr. Clint Meli Sciberras is an Associate at Dingli & Dingli Law Firm and specializes in intellectual property law.
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