Creative minds generate outstanding ideas, but it has been observed many times that an idea of a person is stolen by some other person or an organization. Thus to create awareness about the importance of protecting an individual’s creation, the GOI launched the National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM). Any unique idea or creation of an individual, as a result of his/her creativity, is known as intellectual property for example patents and copyrights. Many authors and creators make copyright and patents of their creations so that no other person can steal them.
National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission
What is National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM)?
The National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM) is a Pan India mission launched by the GOI to create awareness about intellectual property rights among students. The program was jointly implemented by the Intellectual Property Office, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) This mission aims to provide basic training and create awareness about Intellectual Property (IP) among 1 million students in India. With the help of NIPAM, the GOI aim to promote innovation and creativity among the students from class 8th to 12th. Also, it educates college students on how they can protect their creations.
NIPAM was launched on December 8th, 2021, and aimed to achieve the target by August 15th,2022, while ahead of its target it was completed on July 31st, 2022. During this program, more than ten thousand students/faculties were trained under NIPAM. Also, it covered more than 3600 institutes from the 28 states and 7 union territories of India.
What are Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are the legal rights provided to an individual for his/her creation. This is an exclusive right that is being provided to the creator for a certain period. The IPR applies to all kinds of exclusive creations, inventions, artistic works, logos or names used in commerce, etc. Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides benefits to a creator, author, or inventor by safeguarding their artistic, literary, or scientific creation. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), first recognized the importance of IPR during the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886) and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883).
What are the different types of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?
Different kind of IPR applies to different kinds of creation. For example for an artistic or literary creation like a movie, book, painting, song, computer program, etc. copyright is provided to the creator or the author that remains minimum for 50 years after the death of the creator. Similarly, for an exclusive industrial creation like design or technology, a trademark or Geographical Indication (GI) is provided, which protects their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
What is the Need for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?
There is a need for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) due to many reasons and some of them are discussed below.
- It provides, the creator an exclusive right over his/her creation so that no one else can make misuse his/her creation.
- Such legal protection promotes innovation among youth and leads to many new useful inventions.
- Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), also have a positive impact on the economic growth of a nation, as new inventions and innovation creates more job opportunities.
- Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) also promote the ease of doing business, as a creator can use his/her exclusive creation to become an entrepreneur.
- New inventions and developments also attract more FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and also boost the economy.