Hyderabad: In order to observe the role of Intellectual Property rights, we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 every year.
The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life” and “to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe”.
The Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization entered into force in 1970, hence, 26th April was chosen as the date for World Intellectual Property Day.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are the rights granted to the creators of Intellectual Property (IP) by the Government. For the protection of IP in any country, one has to seek protection separately under the relevant laws.
There are special mechanisms in place in various territories for providing protection to different types of IPRs.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ICC is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to collect information on how businesses are responding to the disease and to help identify solutions to prevent its spread.
Dr David Nabarro, special envoy to WHO on COVID-19, released a special video message to the ICC Commission on Intellectual Property, which emphasised the importance of IP rights in protecting against the manufacturing and dissemination of counterfeit essential medical supplies, such as face masks and medicines.
He also applauded the efforts of law enforcement officials around the world to confront these harmful suppliers.
ICC’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative to raise awareness of the economic and social harm of counterfeiting and piracy.
According to the WIPO, Intellectual Property Day has the purpose to enlighten the role played by IP rights in innovation.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IP agents, as well as their clients, are working from home. Some companies have suspended their activities and others, unfortunately, are closing due to the economic recession created by the pandemic.
Most of the Patent and Trademark Offices around the globe are closed to the public to maintain social distancing.
Recognizing the COVID-19 pandemic as an "extraordinary situation”, the mandatory handwritten signature was temporally waived in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
WIPO has also suspended their own postal communication, as well as the issuance of certificates of the international registration in the paper, among others (electronic issuance will continue).
All these modifications not only assure the maintenance of the existent rights but encourages the researches for new IP protections even in a time of crisis.
Big companies, as well as non-profit organisations and Creative Commons, have pledged to make their COVID-19 related intellectual property accessible, free of charge, so that it can be used in fighting Coronavirus.
In the wake of COVID-19 induced public health crisis across the world, a medical device making company known for producing ventilators, have agreed to publically share their intellectual property which is the design of Puritan Bennett 560 (PB 560) ventilator.
A group of scientists, lawyers, entrepreneurs and individuals have come together and started the 'Open COVID pledge' initiative and will voluntarily make the commitment of sharing their Intellectual Property related to COVID-19, thereby reducing information barrier.
The creation of a voluntary Intellectual Property pool was suggested by Costa Rica, and currently WHO is working on their proposal, and hammering out details.
In his speech, the director-general said, "Poorer countries and fragile economies stand to face the biggest shock from this pandemic, and leaving anyone unprotected will only prolong the health crisis and harm economies more."
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