Think, Imagine, Create - The Fifth World Intellectual Property Day

The fifth World Intellectual Property Day met resounding success on April 26, with events in over a hundred Member States. The theme "Think Imagine Create," directed towards young people, inspired celebrations from Azerbaijan to Colombia and from Scandinavia to Zimbabwe. Member States and non-governmental organizations the world over found different ways to realize the words of WIPO Director General Kamil Idris: "Our goal for World Intellectual Property Day and beyond should be to encourage young people everywhere to recognize the creator, the problem-solver, the artist within themselves."

Recognizing the creator

Recognizing and respecting the creator is at the heart of understanding IP and of appreciating our own creative potential. Members of Young Inventors International - aged from 18 to 35 - are actively realizing that potential. The Young Inventors responded to a challenge by the Canadian IP Office to come up with the most inventive way of celebrating the event.

Caption: The Canadian World IP Day pin

Events to honor inventors, such as award ceremonies, exhibitions and seminars, took place in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Finland, Georgia, Kenya, Moldova, Ukraine and Uzbekistan - to name but a few. Viet Nam's Center for Promotion of Invention and Innovation not only held a televised award ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City, but also announced plans for a film tracing the stories of Vietnamese winners of WIPO awards. The achievements of African creators will also be admired by future generations at the Museum of Inventions and Innovation inaugurated in Zimbabwe by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) on April 26.

Many countries broadcast WIPO's 30-second television spot aimed at promoting IP awareness and creativity in young people. Others produced their own material. Belize, for example, broadcast and webcast "Creative Belize," throughout the month.

The problem-solver

Children are adept at finding unconventional solutions to problems. The challenge is to keep that natural creativity as they grow up. To do so, they must be encouraged to feel that their ideas are valuable and useful. Many IP offices geared their activities to reach young minds with that message. Iceland organized an innovation competition for children; while school children throughout Jamaica got a break from the standard curriculum with three days...