World Intellectual Property Day 2023: History, significance and theme

World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated on April 26. The aim is to promote the importance of intellectual property (IP) rights and its role in encouraging innovation and creativity. The day was first established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000

World Intellectual Property Day dates back to the year 2000 when the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) designated April 26 as a day to raise awareness about the importance of intellectual property rights. The purpose of this day is to promote creativity and innovation by highlighting the critical role of intellectual property rights in protecting the rights of innovators, inventors, and creators.

The WIPO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that was established in 1967. Its primary objective is to promote the protection of intellectual property rights worldwide. Intellectual property rights are legal protections for original works of authorship, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, and images used in commerce.

The significance of intellectual property rights lies in the fact that they incentivise creativity and innovation. By providing legal protection for original works, intellectual property rights encourage individuals and organisations to invest in research and development and to share their ideas with the world. This leads to new and improved products and services, which ultimately benefit society as a whole.

World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated in countries around the world, with events and activities organised by governments, non-governmental organisations, and private sector entities. The day is an opportunity to promote the importance of intellectual property rights and to educate the public about the role of these rights in promoting innovation and creativity.

The celebration of World Intellectual Property Day has become increasingly important over the years, as technology and globalisation have made it easier for ideas and works to be copied and distributed without permission or compensation. Intellectual property rights provide the legal framework for protecting the rights of innovators, inventors, and creators in this changing landscape.

The theme for this year's World Intellectual Property Day 2023 is “Accelerating Innovation and Creativity: Women and IP”. The primary objective of this year's theme is to inspire women creators and entrepreneurs to have a “can-do” attitude towards innovation and creativity. World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated annually, and WIPO announces a new theme every year to promote awareness of the importance of intellectual property rights.

In the previous year, the theme for World Intellectual Property Day 2022 was “Innovating for a Better Future: IP and Youth”. The celebrations included the first-ever World Intellectual Property Day Youth Video Competition, which encouraged young minds to showcase their innovative ideas for a better future.