This article was contributed by U.S. Ambassador to Korea Sung Kim on the occasion of the World Intellectual Property Day. ― Ed.
Today, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul joins others around the world in celebrating World Intellectual Property Day. The commemoration goes unnoticed by many, but it is worthwhile to imagine for a moment what life would be like without inventions like the elevator, the computer, or the telephone. We live in a hyper-connected, fast-paced world. Today, we celebrate our inventors, scientists, artists and authors who blaze trails to new ways of communicating and pursuing our daily lives.
Ambassador Sung Kim
April 26 was chosen as the date for World Intellectual Property Day because it coincides with the founding of the World Intellectual Property Organization in 1970. For this year’s celebration, the WIPO has chosen to focus on “Creativity and the Next Generation.” A business climate that rewards innovation encourages the next generation of entrepreneurs and inventors to invest time and capital in the technologies of tomorrow. Inventors, scientists and other creators devote an enormous amount of time and resources to their work. They should be justly paid for their work. Patents and copyright protection give inventors and authors exclusive rights to their creations for a limited period of time, so they can reap the benefits of their labor.
Musicians, movie directors, computer application designers, authors and many other professionals need to know they can work with colleagues from around the world, and that their innovations will enjoy efficient, transparent and cost-effective legal protection worldwide. We believe every government has an important role to clarify, simplify and enforce the laws and regulations for doing business in their country. This includes laws pertaining to intellectual property.
Korea has emerged as a regional leader when it comes to protecting intellectual property rights. The Korean Wave (hallyu) is nothing short of an economic boom across the Asia-Pacific region, and everyone from the television producers to the film editors has a stake in the licensing and copyright protection.
Leaders around the world emphasize the importance of building a creative economy in order to continue to prosper in an ever-more competitive global marketplace. Here in Korea, over 500 women inventors will gather at COEX next week to showcase their innovations and demonstrate the important role intellectual property protection plays in creating economic opportunity. As part of her effort to build a more dynamic and creative economy, President Park has emphasized Korea’s commitment to strong intellectual property protection.
While government and law enforcement clearly have a role in promoting innovation, the responsibility for building a creative economy ultimately falls to all members of society. Respect for intellectual property is demonstrated by the high school student who chooses to purchase a song from her favorite artist rather than search for an illegal download; by the small business that uses licensed accounting software on its computers; by the father who takes his kids to see the newest animated movie at the local cinema.
We ask young people, like governments, to take responsibility for encouraging their friends and associates to understand and respect intellectual property rights. We all must take a stand to defend the creativity of others. While a fake handbag or pirated movie may look appealing, someone suffers from its sale. The economy suffers. There is a huge ripple effect. So, it is up to all of us to take responsibility for encouraging friends, families, associates and governments to understand and respect intellectual property rights.