Forbes Opinion: IP Rights Promote Innovation and Prosperity, by Lorenzo Montanari
This post originally appeared in Forbes on April 26, 2017.
Artists, inventors, and organizations of all stripes are joining hands on Wednesday April 26 to celebrate the contributions that Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) have made in driving limitless human innovation. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), “Innovation is a human force that knows no limits. It turns problems into progress. It pushes the boundaries of possibility, creating unprecedented new capabilities. World Intellectual Property Day 2017 celebrates that creative force.”
This year, World IP Day events will be held on six continents and online. In Saudi Arabia, the Girls’ College at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University will host a debate on the negative impacts of trademark infringement on health and the economy; in Indonesia, high schools students will compete in an essay contest themed around “developing the country with intellectual property” to win a scholarship; in Australia, young artists from the film industry will give presentations on the importance of IP protections in promoting creativity.