World Intellectual Property Day

World Intellectual Property Day History

World Intellectual Property Day is dedicated to the recognizing and promoting intellectual property rights. Intellectual property entails an expansive range of tangible and intangible assets including patents, trademarks, copyright, and industrial designs. The day seeks to highlight the important role intellectual property plays in encouraging innovation, creativity, economic growth, and social development worldwide.

World Intellectual Property Day was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000, coinciding with the organisation's creation in 1970. This observance holds particular relevance to South Africans, with the country being a vibrant hub of innovative activity, particularly in technology, music, and design. Moreover, South Africa is a founding member of the WIPO, indicating its longstanding commitment to intellectual property rights. It also underscores the necessity for appropriate legal frameworks and enforcement measures to safeguard the ideas, innovations and creative expressions of its citizens.

In South Africa, World Intellectual Property Day is typically marked by seminars, workshops, and public discussions facilitated by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). These events aim to educate the public about the importance of intellectual property rights, and to encourage respect for the intellectual property of others. Special focus is often placed on promoting the understanding of patents, copyrights, and trademarks among the business community and general public. World Intellectual Property Day is observed on April 26th, the date on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970.

Facts about World Intellectual Property Day

• The theme for World Intellectual Property Day in 2025 was Tunning in with the music of innovation and creativity. In 2024 the theme was IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity.
  In 2023, the theme was Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity.
• Intellectual property holds immense economic value. In fact, in many global companies, the value of IP assets greatly exceeds the value of their physical assets.
• The duration of IP rights can vary dependent on the type. Copyrights generally last for the lifetime of the creator plus 70 years, while patents typically last for 20 years from the date of filing. Trademarks can last indefinitely, provided they are continually used and defended.
• The country is part of several international treaties and conventions on intellectual property like the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention, and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
• South Africa follows the "first to file" rule meaning that the first person to file a patent in the South African patent office will be the one to receive the patent, regardless of who was the first to develop the invention.

In the News and Trending in South Africa for World Intellectual Property Day

Top things to do in South Africa for this observance

• Explore event ideas and activities for World Intellectual Property Day. The World Intellectual Property Organization offers workshops and programs for participants.
• Learn more about how intellectual property can help a business. Intellectual property can help protect products and services, increase brand visibility, and help eliminate risks to valuable information.
• Attend IP seminars and webinars: Organisations like the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, Department of Science and Technology, and Companies and Intellectual Property Commission often host workshops, webinars, and seminars. These often feature expert speakers discussing various intellectual property topics.
• Read a book to learn more about Intellectual Property in South Africa:
  1) Intellectual Property Law in South Africa - by Owen Dean
  2) Intellectual Property: Law and Practice - by Coenraad J Visser