Author: National Institute of Industrial Property

Source: INPI - Rio de Janeiro / RJ - 11/05/2010

There is no doubt that intellectual property is a fundamental economic asset. However, for everyone to benefit from this, it is necessary to study the IP system and formulate public policies that generate innovation, income and employment. This was the main message at the opening of the "International Seminar on Intellectual Property, Industrial Strategy, Economic Development", on May 11, 2010, in Rio de Janeiro. The event was promoted by INPI and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Right at the opening of the event, the president of the INPI, Jorge Ávila, presented a debate agenda to expand knowledge about intellectual property. Ávila recalled that public policies must be guided by the inclusion of new actors in the innovation system. For this, it is essential to enable society to use IP to its advantage.

In addition, Ávila stressed that it is necessary to invest in cooperation between the national IP offices to ensure more and more quality to the rights granted. This creates legal certainty for investors and encourages the generation of contracts to establish partnerships in new developments.

In the same vein, the head of the Intellectual Property Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenneth Nóbrega, cited the WIPO Development Agenda as a way to reflect on the system. Mentioning important areas, such as patents and copyrights, he added that IP should be seen in relation to industrial policies, the development of nations and the defense of competition.

Also present at the event, World Bank senior economist Mark Dutz cited examples from Asia, especially India, to show that intellectual property should be integrated into public development policies. In this context, the circulation of ideas, disseminated by the system, is important to stimulate the generation of new businesses and jobs.

The professor at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Antonio Marcio Buainaim, recalled that it is necessary to discuss the legal security generated by the IP system and its importance for technology transfer in Brazil.