Intellectual Property
The internet has a rich repertoire of information and knowledge; however, it’s not always straightforward to establish the ownership of products of cognitive labour when they can be copy-pasted, pirated, reproduced, and redistributed digitally. The protection of knowledge and ideas online through intellectual property rights (IPR) is one of the main issues in the digital policymaking debate, especially with the progress in generative AI and border-shattering metaverse technologies.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) deals with these thorny issues by bringing together governmental intellectual property (IP) services with NGOs and industry leaders, fostering an effective global IP ecosystem. WIPO produces digital tools for IP officers worldwide to access its services. The WIPO Conversation series further raises awareness of the challenges frontier technologies pose to IPR and fosters expert consensus. Other organisations like South Centre and the Consumer Unit and Trust Society (CUTS) support developing countries in harnessing innovation and effectively using IP systems in the digital era.
