UN World Intellectual Property Day

UN World Intellectual Property Day Celebrates Power of Ideas

New York, Apr 26 2006 3:00PM

From literature and music to bicycles, bio-fuels and microchips, all human advancement starts with ideas that must be nurtured and protected, the head of the UN agency charged with that task said on the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day 2006, celebrated today.

“Ideas shape our world. They are the raw materials on which our future prosperity and heritage depend,” Kamil Idris, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), said.

“This is why it is important to provide environments in which innovative ideas are encouraged and rewarded,” he added. “This is why intellectual property exists”

The 183 WIPO Member States decided in 2000 to designate a World Intellectual Property Day to raise awareness of the role of intellectual property in daily life, and to celebrate the contribution made by innovators and artists to the development of societies across the globe. The date 26 April was chosen because it marks the day in 1970 when the Convention establishing WIPO took effect.

“Through well-balanced IP systems and structures, WIPO seeks to help creators across the globe to generate economic value from their creations, and so to contribute to the social, cultural and economic advancement of their own societies and of the wider world,” Dr. Idris said.

ENDS

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