Intellectual Property Rights Empower People

By M. Scott Bortot
Staff Writer

Washington - Consumers who buy counterfeit products to get a good deal, beware: You could be harming yourself and your country's economy in the process.

Zayd Alathari, an attorney who practices intellectual property rights law with Washington law firm Venable LLP, said the ramifications for buying illegally manufactured goods are vast.

"Counterfeits are not only bad for the economy, they have dangerous repercussions as well that can lead to serious medical conditions or even death," Alathari said. "Counterfeiting is stealing. It leads to illegal activity and organized crime and really hinders sustainable economic development."

Iraqi-born Alathari will take part in a State Department-sponsored speaking tour of Saudi Arabia later this winter through the Bureau of International Information Programs, during which he will discuss the importance of intellectual property law. Alathari, who volunteers his time to help Arab Americans on intellectual property-related issues, is looking forward to the trip.

"I want to use all my resources and everything that I've learned to help all nations," Alathari said. "Being from the Middle East and being Arab, I especially want to use my talents and expertise to help."

Alathari graduated from American University's Washington College of Law and holds a master's degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. At Venable, he combines his passions for law and science by helping clients patent, protect and commercialize chemical, medical and pharmaceutical products.

Intellectual property (IP), distinct types of creations of the mind, affects people from all walks of life as well as an array of government and nongovernment institutions. Intellectual property rights are given to intangible assets such as music, literary and artistic works, discoveries and inventions, words, phrases, designs and more.

"Society has recognized the value of these creations and has set some exclusive rights to the owners of those creations," Alathari said. Common types of intellectual property protection include copyrights, trademarks and patents.

"Everything in our lives has IP in it," he said. "From the clothes we wear, the food we eat, our homes, automobiles, whether we are reading, listening to the radio or music, watching TV or movies, surfing the Internet."

Protecting intellectual property generates incentives by allowing an inventor to be rewarded for a creation.

"You want to incentivize someone to create something, to invest the time and money to do it," Alathari said. "In exchange for that, society has said we understand your hard efforts, and we are going to reward you by giving you some exclusive rights for a certain time period."

Beyond protecting the owner of an idea, upholding intellectual property rights also builds economies. It generates fair competition, establishes foundations for economic stability and helps a society advance technology and creativity. A 2007 study by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the United Nations University showed "a positive correlation between the strengthening of the IP system and subsequent economic growth" in six Asian countries.

"There is a certain stability in knowing what rights you have in how to conduct business," Alathari said, "and this drives business relationships."

Intellectual property rights have a long history. A statute issued by the Republic of Venice in 1474 called for the registration of inventions with the authorities to receive infringement protection for 10 years. The U.S. Constitution ( http://www.america.gov/st/usg-english/2008/April/20080416203407eaifas0.6335565.html ) contains what is sometimes known as the Intellectual Property Clause, which calls for the promotion of "the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

Alathari said most legal systems around the world aim to protect intellectual property. But applying the laws can be tough. Challenges include border control, identifying infringing products and making sure appropriate criminal penalties are in place.

"That way people will not infringe these rights; they will think twice about it," he said.

Saudi Arabia, Alathari said, is an excellent example of how the application of intellectual property rights helps lead to progress.

"They have made a commitment and an investment in expanding their economy and moving forward in becoming technology advanced, from education all the way to the top with businesses," Alathari said. "It has the assets that it needs to become a hot spot for innovation, and IP rights provide the means for Saudi Arabia or any Arab nation to capitalize on its innovation both at home and abroad."

ENDS

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