Beyond the notion of patent, is the concept of intellectual property well understood by the creative industries?
« Too often, the notion of intellectual property is reduced to the patent. Especially, the small actors are convinced that this only concerns large industrial companies and that it is very expensive.
We observe too often that especially SMEs, TPE, start-up, … do not know the subject at all or have a partial or incorrect understanding of the subject matter.
The creative industries sector is mainly made up of small players, for whom the tools of intellectual property are in my opinion very important. It is therefore essential to gain a better understanding of this topic in order to grasp when and how these tools can help… them develop their business.
The purpose of our Afterworks, for example, is to sensitize all the actors who wish to discover and learn more about this topic. The round tables that we organise, are intended to showcase via testimonials through the testimonials of entrepreneurs, how intellectual property is put into practice by their peers and what it can bring as an advantage or benefit.
In addition, it is important to know that all players can benefit from our BoostIP program. These are individual appointments of 1 to 2 hours, either at our premises at IPIL, the House of Entrepreneurship or directly within companies, where our specialists provide a first level of information to the public. They will explain what Intellectual Property is and identify together with their interlocutors what is important to consider in relation to the company’s activities.
What are, briefly, the existing intellectual property tools to protect craft creations?
One must remember that intellectual property is defined by industrial property covering trademarks, designs and patents, plus copyright and related rights that protect literary and artistic creations and of course software – protected by authors rights.
The Afterworks session at the Chambre des Métiers this coming Thursday, will illustrate on the basis of testimonials from a product designer Julie Conrad, the carpenter Norbert Brakonier and the designer and installer of anti-fall systems ST Quadrat, that the entire array of intellectual property tools may apply, depending on the specificities of the company into the craft sector. There are, of course, tools that are more relevant than others in relation to a specific branch of the sector and this is also the case for crafts. For example, and without wishing to anticipate the discussions scheduled for next Thursday’s roundtable it’s no secret that the brand is a tool that applies to all companies, regardless of their sector and activity, and is therefore also an important topic for craft companies and the creativity sector as a whole.
On the other hand, the patent is probably less often used in the craft industry. But it is important not to generalise too much, because you always have to look at it on a case-by-case basis and in relation to the needs of companies that can be very specific, as the case of ST Quadrat will illustrate.
What is the basic knowledge that every entrepreneur or craftsman needs to possess in terms of intellectual property in order to be the best armed for his business?
It is of utmost importance, not to ignore Intellectual Property. Every business therefore needs to know what IP is and where and how it relates to their own business.
The appropriate level of knowledge in the field of intellectual property is part of the topics put forward during the presentations of the first session of these Afterworks. It will be interesting to learn from the entrepreneurs themselves, how they have gain the necessary knowledge and what their recommendations are to be sufficiently informed on this subject.
Would you like to attend the Afterworks de la Propriété Intellectuelle on 11th October from 6pm?
Register HERE
Would you like to join the Luxembourg Creative Industries Cluster?
More info HERE