Intellectual property (IP) is the creations of one’s mind. It includes copyrights, patents, trademarks, industrial design rights and trade secrets. IP protection has been of critical importance in today’s modern world to encourage innovation. This is because IP protection allows ideas to be protected so that businesses would reap maximum benefits of their inventions and would encourage more research and development. Due to the importance of IP, BeST programme has arranged an experienced and reputable speaker Assoc. Prof. Rohazar Wati Zuallcobley from the Faculty of Law, MARA University of Technology, for us students.
She started her lecture by telling us the importance of strong IP for innovation in boosting the national economic growth, and that under the law of IP, exclusive rights of owners to intangible assets such as knowledge and creativity can be granted. We understood the differences between different types of IP, how IP plays a role as economic tools for conversion of innovation into assets, how patents are applied and granted and the several routes to grant a patent.
The second half of her lecture was on trademark as a branding strategy. The lecture became much more interesting when she taught us the ways to differentiate registrable and non-registrable trademarks, as well as the history and function of trademarks. Finally she concluded the lecture with confidential information and trade secret, which allowed us to understand the rationale and history behind them.
Before she ended her lecture, she reminded us on one thing that happens to today’s high-technology world: the digital revolution has made IP become more susceptible to mass copying and zero-cost distribution of digital materials. This will pose a threat to IP and hence each of us should help to fight against piracy and counterfeiting to help the inventors from suffering losses and getting full protection from IP system. May all Malaysians as well as people from other countries will cherish the hard work and creation of great minds.
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