The theme of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day, which was commemorated recently, is about the starting point of all intellectual property, the seeds from which all innovations and creative works grow – ideas. World Intellectual Property Day is commemorated in many countries around the world, particularly in those 182 countries which like Malta, are members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

The idea behind the setting up of the intellectual property rights system is precisely to reward and encourage creativity and innovation as well as knowledge sharing and technology transfer with a view to a better quality of life.

World Intellectual Property Day is an opportunity to encourage people to think about the role played by intellectual property in everyday life, and about its importance in stimulating and safeguarding innovation and creativity.

Malta’s National Reform Programme and intellectual property rights are closely correlated. The measures outlined in the programme under the strategic themes of competitiveness and education and training serve as a direct spur to the creation of intellectual property.

Here one may also mention other government initiatives in this regard, administered by Malta Enterprise, MCAST and the Malta College for Science and Technology, and the Commerce Division. The latter is carrying out various workshops with the aim of increasing knowledge and awareness of IP targeted at business, educational, and public sectors.

The activity in the field of industrial property registration can be gauged by statistics provided by the Commerce Division, namely the Division responsible for issues concerning IP rights. At its Industrial Property Directorate, the division last year received around 700 patents applications as opposed to 25 received in 1995. Last year’s figures showed a 45 per cent increase over those of 2004.

Trademark applications last year amounted to 1,271. Here one must point out that as from 1 May 2004, it became possible to secure trademark rights in Malta via the Community Trademark System whereby a trademark could be protected throughout the European Union with one single registration via the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Ohim) in Alicante, Spain. To date, circa 300,000 trademarks have been registered by Ohim and as a result of accession these are now valid in Malta. Last year Ohim received approximately 60,000 new trademark applications all of which, if granted, would also extend to Malta.

The Commerce Division has also been improving the standard of its personnel by promoting participation in training courses and seminars organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Community Trademarks and Designs) dealing with the latest developments in IP.

In fact such training is encouraged not only for the staff at the Commerce Division but also for third parties with an interest in IP. Malta’s cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organisation has not only reaped benefits in the form of training for national officers and the sharing of expertise but also in terms of financial assistance for the upgrading of training facilities at the Commerce Division.

I believe that it is important that initiatives aimed at raising awareness of innovation at a very young age should be given all the support possible as intellectual property is a crucial tool within the framework of a competitive economy.

Censu Galea is Competitiveness and Communications MinisterThe theme of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day, which was commemorated recently, is about the starting point of all intellectual property, the seeds from which all innovations and creative works grow – ideas. World Intellectual Property Day is commemorated in many countries around the world, particularly in those 182 countries which like Malta, are members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

The idea behind the setting up of the intellectual property rights system is precisely to reward and encourage creativity and innovation as well as knowledge sharing and technology transfer with a view to a better quality of life.

World Intellectual Property Day is an opportunity to encourage people to think about the role played by intellectual property in everyday life, and about its importance in stimulating and safeguarding innovation and creativity.

Malta’s National Reform Programme and intellectual property rights are closely correlated. The measures outlined in the programme under the strategic themes of competitiveness and education and training serve as a direct spur to the creation of intellectual property.

Here one may also mention other government initiatives in this regard, administered by Malta Enterprise, MCAST and the Malta College for Science and Technology, and the Commerce Division. The latter is carrying out various workshops with the aim of increasing knowledge and awareness of IP targeted at business, educational, and public sectors.

The activity in the field of industrial property registration can be gauged by statistics provided by the Commerce Division, namely the Division responsible for issues concerning IP rights. At its Industrial Property Directorate, the division last year received around 700 patents applications as opposed to 25 received in 1995. Last year’s figures showed a 45 per cent increase over those of 2004.

Trademark applications last year amounted to 1,271. Here one must point out that as from 1 May 2004, it became possible to secure trademark rights in Malta via the Community Trademark System whereby a trademark could be protected throughout the European Union with one single registration via the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Ohim) in Alicante, Spain. To date, circa 300,000 trademarks have been registered by Ohim and as a result of accession these are now valid in Malta. Last year Ohim received approximately 60,000 new trademark applications all of which, if granted, would also extend to Malta.

The Commerce Division has also been improving the standard of its personnel by promoting participation in training courses and seminars organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Community Trademarks and Designs) dealing with the latest developments in IP.

In fact such training is encouraged not only for the staff at the Commerce Division but also for third parties with an interest in IP. Malta’s cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organisation has not only reaped benefits in the form of training for national officers and the sharing of expertise but also in terms of financial assistance for the upgrading of training facilities at the Commerce Division.

I believe that it is important that initiatives aimed at raising awareness of innovation at a very young age should be given all the support possible as intellectual property is a crucial tool within the framework of a competitive economy.

Censu Galea is Competitiveness and Communications Minister