This next Thread will be to set the context for a lot of the discussions we will have. Its a discussion and don't have all the answers so we will exchange ideas and experiences. I came across this quote a few years ago and it stands true now more than ever for me.

"In a world where the economic growth of nations is driven increasingly by the creativity and ingenuity of their people, effective IP systems – which create incentives for innovation, and structures for sharing the results – are key to unlocking this human potential. Once seen

primarily as a technical matter for legal experts, IP is now a high priority for governments, businesses, researchers, academics, individual creators and civil society."

Source : @WIPO

So the question is what is this animal called intellectual property?

Intellectual property are intangible assets that are creations of the mind. I would define Intellectual property (IP) as solutions to everyday problems that began as abstract ideas and concepts but are now tangible products, services, experiences & know how that makes the world

a better place. Intellectual property rights are negative rights they exclude other persons from using or commercializing the said IP. This IP is broadly categorized into industrial property, copyright, plant varieties, genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional

cultural expressions. That’s not all there are a lot of emerging areas Intellectual property (IP) is increasingly important as societies and economies become more knowledge-based. Respect for IP and the availability of IPR data and its subsequent analysis is the cornerstone for

the economic and technological development of any country. An emerging school of thought which I subscribe to is shifting from protection of rights alone to knowledge transfer, equipping citizens to reverse engineer innovations, commercialization of IP and delivery of timely data

and information used in evidence-based decision making.

What’s Industrial Property?
Industrial property takes a range of forms, the main types of which are outlined here. These include trade secrets, know how, patents for inventions, utility models, industrial designs

(aesthetic creations related to the appearance of industrial products/in some jurisdictions like South Africa also the functionality), trademarks, service marks, layout-designs of integrated

circuits, commercial names and designations, geographical indications and protection against unfair competition etc

Patent
Its an Innovation disclosed on patent documents grant their respective inventors the right to prevent others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling their invention for a period of time and within a specific territory. IP rights are territorial in nature

A patent is an exclusive legal right granted for an invention that has been fully disclosed. A patent is open to public scrutiny after grant or 18 months from priority date to add to public knowledge. Its usually granted for a period of 20 years. I will discuss this further