According to the WIPO Web site:
“Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce. IP is protected in law by, for example, patents, copyright, and trademarks, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create. By striking the right balance between the interests of innovators and the wider public interest, the IP system aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish.”
“The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 188 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society’s evolving needs. It provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP. And it provides free access to unique knowledge banks of IP information.”
Here is an infographic about global patent filings in 2014.
This is an interesting infographic showing PCT Patent Applications from 2013-14 in businesses. If the application for patents is at all representative of advancement in certain areas of technology, then it would seem that computer and medical technologies have been making some big steps.
I agree that protecting IP by law is crucial to encourage the flow of creativity! But I also think it’s tough to distinguish between stealing someone else’s idea and being inspired by it. For example, recently Pharrell Williams was sued by Marvin Gaye’s family because he apparently “ripped off” some of his music. I haven’t followed the story too closely so I can’t speak to the validity of the lawsuit, but on the surface it appears to be a little unfair. Music and art is the product of inspiration from various things especially other works of art. I think that the Protection of Intellectual Property is extremely important, but what about the protection of intellectual inspiration? I also think it’s really interesting to see how the value of PCT Patents differs depending on the country.
Michaela Cody; MKT 101 Section 1
It is no surprise that the united states filed the most patent applications in 2014. With so many start ups and new business opportunities this is no surprise to me. On the other Hand Japan and China coming in second and third is sort of surprising although they are very tech savvy nations. I would like to create a patent one day, so that tells you something about the nation as a whole. In sum, I would argue that patent filing although expensive is worth it in the long run.
Many thanks for the fast and high-quality infographic about copyright, it was very interesting and informative.
There is no doubt that USA is the country that owns the most IP applications all over the world in the 2014 and Japan follows it. They are two strong and creative countries in the world and they lead the new trend in the world. However, China has occupied the third place. In a long time, China was denounced it counterfeit other countries’ products. Also, the last countries they are all European countries except Republic of Korea. In the fields of technology, the computer technology, digital communication, and electrical machinery are the most three fields that countries made PCT patent applications in 2014. I think the reasons are varsity. One is people rely on high technology, and the demand of high technology products is creasing. The high technology products make a new life for people. Another is people cannot leave the social media. The first thing that most of people do is going through the social media websites. Moreover, people start to get new information from the social media websites. The digital communication field can improve the customer experience from both hardware and software.