AIPPI FORUM & EXCO SPEECH BY MS LIEW WOON YIN, DIRECTOR-GENERAL IPOS JOINT COCKTAIL OPENING EXCO AND CLOSING AIPPI FORUM SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER 2007, 630PM ASIAN CIVILISATION MUSEUM Mr Ronald Myrick, President of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, 1. A very good evening to all of you. In the past 2 days you have delved deep into various aspects of intellectual property; from the scope of protection afforded to digital works, to the auctioning of IP assets, to enforcement strategies, to a debate on the role and value of IP in national development. 2. Hence I am sure you will all be pleased to know that this will not be a speech that will reflect on what you have already covered. 3. I understand that the goal of the Forum is to create a platform where representatives from industry, politics and the judiciary (both AIPPI Members and non-members) have an opportunity to exchange views. It is certainly laudable that AIPPI recognised that the gathering of Members for the Exco provided a wealth of expertise from which a highlevel networking and sharing event could be created. Tuesday, December 18, 2007 1
2. 4. The Forum & Exco and similar activities around the world have become increasingly necessary in order for those in the IP field to touch base and keep updated on the rapid developments in the legal regimes and in practice taking place globally. This is especially so as IP has become an integral component of business strategies and national development policies. No longer is it a standalone esoteric subject matter. As such, those involved in dealing with IP issues must have an interdisciplinary and international outlook. The Expanding Scope and Evolving Role of the IP Professional 5. The AIPPI charter states that its Members are people actively interested in intellectual property protection on a national or international level. They range from lawyers, patent attorneys and trade mark agents, judges, scientists and engineers. Members can, as I understand it, be individuals or corporations. 6. The scope of AIPPI s membership embodies what I see as the evolving role and expansion of scale of what are called IP professionals. 7. Although the protection of IP has its foundation in law, we now have professionals dealing in IP policy development, administration and management. IP managers, technology transfer & licensing agents, rights management officers, branding consultants, are just part of the spectrum of the profession. They deal with the protection and exploitation of IP. The creators of IP the R&D professionals, the designers, authors & artists, scientists & technologists are also part of the continuing cycle of creation, protection and exploitation of IP. Ultimately the cycle supports the users of IP for without a need for IP, and a recognised value in IP, the entire cycle would not need to exist. Tuesday, December 18, 2007 2
3. 8. Each component has its expectations and perspectives of IP. However, it must be recognised that each fits into and supports the IP cycle. Any changes affecting a part of the cycle would have repercussions throughout. 9. Thus platforms such as this Forum and Exco, brought about by organisations such as AIPPI, which has long understood the part each component of the IP cycle plays, are invaluable opportunities for sharing perspectives, by both users and creators, by those that seek to protect IP rights and those that want to maximize its use. 10. However despite the obvious value such platforms bring, the underlying assumptions are that each component of the cycle is intrinsically separate. Is this really the case? Obviously not. IP is recognised as a horizontal that cuts across sectors and internally in organisations, across departments. The emergence of IP professionals having multidisciplinary perspectives is a signal of the continued integration of IP. Developing Multidisciplinary Competencies for the IP Professionals 11. However, there are still gaps that need to be addressed for the cycle to be seamless and integration across sectors more complete. I believe the gap exists in the lack of structured education programmes that attempt to bridge these different perspectives. It is only recently that such integrated programmes have started to emerge. Tuesday, December 18, 2007 3
4. 12. These are what I would call conversion programmes programmes that are structured to build up new skills in those already in the workforce, adding another layer of value-add on their core competencies. For example, there are programmes that are structured to hone management & business skills in IP lawyers & agents, allowing them to provide intermediary services to clients, or to function in-house by providing business & legal input to an organisation s strategies. 13. For those in the technology sector, the researchers & scientists, technology managers etc., programmes are now available that can provide both the necessary IP legal foundation, and IP management competencies interwoven into technology management principles. For example, the National University of Singapore s Master of Science in IP Management (administered by the IP Academy of Singapore) provides non-lawyers firstly a legal IP foundation then delves into the principles of IP management ranging from claims construction to components of valuation, royalty & damage calculation, innovation management to the use of patent information and technology product life cycle. 14. There is thus a merging of law, business and technology management with the understanding that the fundamental legal basis is still a necessary foundation. Tuesday, December 18, 2007 4
5. 15. In order for the profession to continue to move ahead, such happy marriages between the stakeholders of different aspects of the IP cycle would have to be proliferated. Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, in partnership with the IP Academy, has also started on this path in integrating aspects of IP education into existing curriculum in the local Polytechnics. A group of tutors and administrators in each Polytechnic has undergone training in IP in order for them to start thinking through how IP can be merged into their core subjects. 16. It is a long road ahead as there is no single programme that meets all needs. However, with perseverance, we would see emerging from the institutes, a workforce able to grasp the various perspectives of the IP cycle. It is still early years yet but we hope to be able to expand on this and encourage other institutes to adopt the same approach in incorporating IP into their existing curriculum. 17. In our meetings with other IP offices and stakeholders in government both in Singapore and overseas, we see the same intent of integration in education. Perhaps with that understanding and the basic skills of the IP cycle ingrained, we will not only see a more effective integration of IP in business strategies & national policies, but also a narrowing of the gaps between users & creators, and the developed & developing countries. Tuesday, December 18, 2007 5
6. 18. Professional associations such as AIPPI have a key role to play. Already in the field, AIPPI s members can provide practical perspectives & insight into issues of interest, identify skills that need to be built, highlight areas of concern that have to be bridged. This input can help ensure that integrated skills programmes multiply and meet industries and national needs. Perhaps it is timely that education stakeholders and government agencies forge formal links with professional and industry associations with this common objective. Speaking on behalf of IPOS and as a governor of the IP Academy, we would certainly be pleased to continue dialogue and ideas for cooperation in this area. 19. I would not take much more of your time my rallying call having been made! I wish AIPPI members all a fruitful discussion at the Exco and a very pleasant evening ahead. To our foreign guests, do enjoy the sights and sounds of Singapore. Tuesday, December 18, 2007 6