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26 April 2022Influential Women in IPMuireann Bolger

World IP Day: inspiring the next generation

World Intellectual Property Day 2022, held today, celebrates the ingenuity and creativity of young people.

But challenges loom large, according to a survey jointly conducted by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the National Youth Council (NYC).

The study released today, April 26, revealed that two out of three young people were not aware of how to protect the content they develop, and half wanted more education and resources to help them understand IP rules and guide them on IP creation.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the challenges facing this generation. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), young people have been particularly affected by the crisis when it comes to  educational opportunities, employment, mental health, disposable income and participation in public life.

The results of the OECD Risks That Matter 2020 survey revealed that two in three 18‑to‑29‑year‑olds are worried about their household’s finances and overall social and economic well-being.

Meanwhile, the OECD warned that the long-term effects of the crisis may widen generational inequalities.

To prevent this from happening, IP is crucial in helping innovative and entrepreneurial young people develop their ideas and to achieve their dreams.

This means the community must endeavour to attract bright, talented young people from a wide range of backgrounds into IP law firms who truly understand the challenges facing their peers.

To mark the day, WIPR spoke to IP mentors about the importance of helping the next generation of young IP professionals.

Julie Goldemberg, partner, Morgan Lewis

A challenge for young people when it comes to understanding IP is a lack of exposure to what a career in this field might entail and information about how they can embark on a number of alternative paths to successfully pursue one.

While science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) skills are taught in schools, the knowledge and interests you can apply to work and achieve success in IP are not necessarily fostered in the classroom.

IP can be better positioned to demonstrate how deep and broad it is, and how accessible it is via several entry points, including its impact on areas ranging from fashion and engineering to music and marketing.

An understanding of why companies invest in brands and innovation, the impact that IP has on society, and the funding that is needed to actually bring products and services to market is key to sparking more of an interest in the field.

This can be done by going into classrooms, and explaining how the IP system works.

We have developed a number of offerings at Morgan Lewis to support the next generation of IP lawyers, including fellowship programmes for law students and law school tuition reimbursement options for professionals with relevant or transferable experience considering a transition to law.

We also have an event series, Pathways to IP, that is targeted at science and engineering students who may not be aware of how the education and skillsets they’ve cultivated position them well for careers in IP law.

Rachelle Dubow, partner, Morgan Lewis

IP lawyers and professionals can serve as ambassadors to educate students on the various elements of the IP system. By doing this, just as much of an emphasis should be placed on why IP is important to innovation as who contributes what to the system and how.

Companies also have a role to play, many of which are already active in sponsoring competitions and hackathons, internships, and other programmes to encourage students and other innovators to enter the profession.

Opportunity is also a challenge. This is especially true for students and other innovators in economically challenged areas who may not have access to educational resources or funding that might otherwise encourage an interest in science, art, technology or design.

Supporting the institutions and organisations that provide these opportunities in and outside of schools is critical to building an accessible and robust pipeline.

Gary Sorden, member, Cole Schotz

Overall, businesses need to recognise that young people often have innovative ideas even if they are new to the workforce. Instead of ignoring these ideas, companies that embrace the ingenuity of young people working for them tend to flourish.

As the world becomes more digitised than ever, young people are exposed to IP earlier. Web domain issues, trademark cease and desist letters, copyright infringement are all issues people see on social media.

The general knowledge of IP rights management is at a much higher level now than 10 to 20 years ago. Young people innovate as a way of life now and often ask the question, “wouldn’t it be better if we did it this way?”

Firms are working with law schools to identify IP candidates much earlier than before. Non-traditional recruiting at the law school level will also increase for those students that have the correct backgrounds for IP law.

One challenge is that young people starting in their undergraduate studies need to gain a technical degree to best position themselves in the IP market. That takes considerable planning and even perhaps knowledge of the IP field to plan your education appropriately.

In the context of IP litigation, young attorneys need to gain experience in trial settings but because trials do not occur often, gaining this type of experience can be difficult. One recommendation is to identify firms that may provide more opportunity to get “on your feet” experience early in your career.

We need to do more to educate people in high school about IP. In sum, IP is the intersection of innovation, business, and law, which permeates almost every type of business.

My hope is that funding can be put in place to educate students in high school regarding IP and the importance of the industry.

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