IP is an emerging issue within the education arena. Universities and public research institutions are among the direct contributors towards innovation and research, particularly in emerging economies. The potential pool of talent for innovation in these economies also emanates largely from educational institutions and research institutions. Off late, the significance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in higher education has been widely recognized.
While many people tend to use the term "intellectual property" and "copyright" interchangeably these are, in fact, two separate concepts. IP law is best thought of as a collection of various rights: copyright, patents, designs, trademarks, other types of confidential information, trade secrets, expertise or know-how, reputation, assets that are not necessarily intellectual but have commercial value, chip topography, and other sector-specific rights.
Most of the things people do with the aid of digital technology are linked to their intellectual property (IP) or the IP of others, but their level of knowledge about this is still rather limited. It is therefore of key importance to raise pupils’ awareness in schools, showing how they could reap the benefits of IP knowledge in their private and professional lives. Helping teachers and education authorities with provision of objective, reliable and modern resources and IP information is also necessary.
