More respect urged in Asia for intellectual property
Experts on intellectual property rights have urged Asian countries to instill a greater awareness of intellectual property among their people from an early education level, to bolster the regional economy and the growth of individual countries.
At a two-day Global Forum on Intellectual Property in Singapore, delegates from around the world were advised to create awareness of intellectual property (IP) rights in all dimensions, but particularly in business because it can boost national economic growth. Singapore's deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law, S Jayakumar, said Asia is witnessing a shift in the global IP landscape. There will be a huge increase in the Asian regional economy if business people understand more about the value of IP. "The improvement of creativity, protection and management in business will strongly increase our economic growth," Jayakumar said. The director of Singapore's IP Academy, David Llewelyn, said economic growth in Asia averages 7 per cent to 8 per cent per year. However, a wider awareness of IP will help GDP growth in the region to rise to 8 per cent or 10 per cent a year. "The education of children is a basic need, to increase general awareness of IP," Llewelyn said. "This awareness will help reduce the costs of governments and private companies in protecting themselves against counterfeit problems." The Singaporean government modernised by introducing IP awareness to its education system many years ago. The result has brought Singapore many competitive advantages over other countries in Asia and even over developed countries, Llewelyn said. The global anti-counterfeiting counselor for Unilever Plc, Richard Heath, said that according to his studies, about 5 per cent to 7 per cent of world trade is faced with problems of counterfeiting. Seventy per cent of all counterfeits originate in China and most of the rest from developing countries in the Asian region. Suzanne Harrison, director of LECG, a leading manager of intellectual assets in the US, said that unless action is taken, the counterfeit problem will hinder the economic growth of every nation in the long run. Recent US government statistics suggested that the total US trade in counterfeits is valued at US$512 billion a year, largely because of lack of awareness of IP, Harrison said. A former senior patent judge from the UK, Sir Hugh Laddie, said developing countries should upgrade their intellectual property laws to give them a greater influence on society.
Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation SINGAPORE
|
