Online service to demystify intellectual property
Paris, 15 March 2000 - ICC today launches an online service to demystify the subject of intellectual property and to examine the issues surrounding it.
An intellectual property system is one of the foundation stones upon which economic, technological and cultural development rests, and it is relevant to all our daily lives. Despite this, many people still view intellectual property as an abstract concept better left in the hands of lawyers and fail to take part in important debates surrounding the topic.
A series of new ICC webpages found at http://www.iccwbo.org/home/intellectual_property/presentation/index.asp explain what intellectual property is, why it is important, and how it works. The pages expand on how intellectual property rights affect society and anticipate a number of questions which readers are likely to ask. In the months ahead ICC will post its response to questions such as:
Is the intellectual property system fair for both producers and users of intellectual property? Do intellectual property rights help or hinder the protection of the environment? And what role does intellectual property protection play on the Internet?
"Intellectual property is becoming increasingly important in a world which is fuelled by creation and innovation, where ideas can be sent around the globe with the click of a mouse. Every day we use objects and services that depend on some kind of intellectual property. Yet most people have no idea what that is, or worse still, have misconceptions which cause them to mistrust the whole idea of intellectual property rights," said Daphne Yong-d'Herve, Senior Policy Manager for Intellectual Property.
"In these web pages, ICC aims to clear up these misconceptions and to address some of the concerns which people have about intellectual property protection. Feedback from the public would be greatly welcomed to help us do this," Mrs Yong-d'Herve said.
The new pages also include links to related documents including ICC's recent overview of the key current and emerging issues in different fields of intellectual property. This roadmap for policy makers and the business community also lays the blueprint for ICC's future work in intellectual property and identifies areas for immediate action.
ICC welcomes any comments, contributions or suggestions concerning its new pages and can be contacted by e-mail at Click here to send a mail.