World Intellectual Property Day

Held on : 26th April

According to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Intellectual  Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.

IP is divided into two categories:  

1.  Industrial Property - It includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source.

2.  Copyright - It  includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.

World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on April 26. The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2001 to "raise awareness of the role of intellectual property in our daily lives, and to celebrate the contribution made by innovators and artists to the development of societies across the globe".

History

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest. WIPO was established by the WIPO Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its Member States to promote the protection of IP throughout the world through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.

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 WIPO originally entered into force in 1970.

Events - Each year, WIPO and its Member States celebrate World Intellectual Property Day with activities, events and campaigns.  These seek to increase public understanding of what IP really means, and to demonstrate how the IP system fosters not only music, arts and entertainments, but also all the products and technological innovations that help to shape our world.

• On this day WIPO Awards, are awarded to celebrate the achievements of inventors, creators and innovative companies around the world, and to help foster a culture in which innovation and creativity are encouraged at all levels.

• People and Organisations submit video content covering World IP Day events and activities through YouTube channel.

• Summaries of the reports are published on the website - http://www.wipo.int

• WIPO's World IP Day Web Gallery at http://www.wipo.int, displays colourful examples of posters and publicity materials from around the world.

• WIPO joins IP offices and organizations around the world in celebrating  World Intellectual Property Day organises Outreach Campaigns which distributes an extensive range of WIPO publications, grouped by subject, free of charge, Internet, Film, the Press, seminars and publications are used to raise awareness regarding IP.

Themes - Each year, a message or theme is associated with the event.

Previous years Themes have been:

2001 - Creating the Future Today.
2002 - Encouraging Creativity.
2003 - Make Intellectual Property your Business.
2004 - Encouraging Creativity.
2005 - Think, Imagine, Create.
2006 - It Starts With an Idea.
2007 - Encouraging Creativity.
2008 - Celebrating innovation and promoting respect for intellectual property.
2009 - Green Innovation.

Holiday Status - It is not a Holiday.