More and more people are figuring out that intellectual property (IP) is important to our future. Back before the holiday break I was asked to talk to a “magnet” class of 6th graders at Dent Middle School about IP matters.
I was not sure to what degree these 6th graders would understand and appreciate some of the difficult concepts involved in seeking patent protection for inventions. As I started talking to them and encouraging questions to keep them engaged, I have to admit that I was very surprised. Perhaps even stunned is a better word. In this class there were several students that had already been working on creating various inventions as part of their studying about how to be entrepreneurs. Once they got going, they asked all kinds of questions that showed they really were interested in patents and the process of commercializing inventions. I had to joke with one student that I suspected he was a member of the committee that develops the questions for the Patent Bar Exam given by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
I also recently learned that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is focused on IP in a big way. In 2007 they established an affiliate called the Global Intellectual Property Center (“GIPC”) and their web address is www.theGlobalIPCenter.com. Today, the GIPC is leading a worldwide effort to champion intellectual property rights as vital to creating jobs, saving lives, advancing global economic growth, and generating breakthrough solutions to global challenges. GIPC is reaching out to academics, universities, consumers, businesses, and state legislators to advance the importance of IP rights.
IP is one of the key driving-forces behind innovation and is our most valuable trade asset. The value of innovation can be found in every corner of the globe and universities foster and fuel that innovation. Every country, state and local community plays a role in helping us grow, and to remain competitive we need to find ways to unite and advance policies that promote and support IP rights. If you are interested in learning more about how important IP rights are and how they are influencing the economy, the GIPC website is an excellent place to visit.