Intellectual Property

While we continue down a path of digitalization, one of the strongest intangible forces that affects our daily lives is Intellectual Property, or IP for short. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has defined IP as creations of the mind. This comprises inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images used in business and commerce. Whether it's music streaming or the use of devices, IP is there to protect the intangible asset of the mind. 

Suppose you obtain the song you always liked to listen to on your favourite music streaming platform when you wake up in the morning. The song you hear is covered by IP through copyright, giving the artist the exclusive right to that song, whereas the music streaming platform has IP rights to its software, its branding and designs.

Then you walk to your kitchen for a cup of morning coffee, the possibility is that your coffee might be protected under a trademark, which assures the quality of the coffee you are having. If you are relishing your coffee from a specific region, then these are protected under geographical indications, making sure that they originate from that specific geography to maintain the quality and authenticity.

While enjoying each sip of your coffee, you might want to complete your pending office task on your laptop. The design of the laptop you are using is safeguarded under patent and the brand is protected under trademark. Software like word processors and spreadsheets that you use on your device are protected by copyright and patents, assuring reliable and enhanced performance.  

Now you are on the way to the office in your car, sporting a sleek look and a recent model. The industrial look of your car, right from the form to its aesthetic components, is patented by design so that its distinguishing visual aspect remains solely for the manufacturer.

The clock struck 5 pm. You are heading home. As a result of your awful day at work, you have a really bad headache. You're driving home and you stop at a café near your home and you want yourself a cold drink to "cool you off" while you're at it. The ingredients of your cold drink are protected as a trade secret. This secret helps to keep the taste of the drink you just ordered exclusive. Likewise, the medication you take for your headache relief, after reaching home, has a composition mostly protected by patents, ensuring its effectiveness.

From our first sip of coffee in the morning to the medicines we depend on, there is not a single area of our lives that has remained untouched by Intellectual Property. Whether it’s the patents and trademarks that safeguard the devices we rely on, the trade secrets that preserve the formulas and recipes, or the copyrights that protect creative works of the artists, IP guarantees quality, innovation, and authenticity to each creation of the human mind. We are consistently engaging with products and services protected by intellectual property, which subsequently encourages creativity and preserves trust between consumers and manufacturers. So, next time we use any gadget, listen to any song and try a new brand, let’s not forget that behind every song, every application and every ground-breaking innovation lies a story of creation worthy of protection.