Changing the scope of intellectual property

People often think of Intellectual Property as a tool that leaves out those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. But the reality is quite different: IP systems can benefit everyone, including the poor and marginalized. IP can harness innovative ideas more broadly by fostering a more inclusive IP regime and creating new markets. Yet, we can do better to leverage IP to help solve important global problems and to provide a positive social and environmental impact.

Some great initiatives were showcased last month during the US Patent & Trademark Office’s Patent for Humanity initiative, where selected patent owners were awarded prizes for putting their innovative ideas to good use in solving global challenges.

Making a difference is not restricted to a certain field. There are incredible innovations linked to health, nutrition, clean technology, information technology and many other areas. Take Microsoft Research, for example, which developed Infer.net. This machine learning tool supporting advanced in our understanding of a wide variety of field in public health, agriculture and the environment.  Another great solution to help the 1.3 billion people in the world to access electricity was developed by Nokero.

Coming up with these great innovations with social and environmental benefits is fantastic, but we need to have the policies in place to be able to support the development and implementation of these cutting-edge innovations.  The US government, for instance, approved a fast-tracking of select matters for the winners of the Patent for Humanity prize.

These pro-development innovations often cater largely to the “formal” economy, where most IP is owned and managed by firms. Looking at the global economy, it is clear that in many developing nations, the “informal sector” accounts for a major portion of the economy. India’s informal sector, for instance, constitutes approximately 88% of its economy and Kenya’s accounts for 81% of total employment.

As such, it is essential to also consider IP from a broader perspective which includes the informal economy and to consider what the incentives for innovation are, how they can be scaled up and, further still, how innovative potential can be encouraged within the informal sector. This is still uncharted territory, offering still many opportunities to make a difference.

To find out what the Intellectual Property Council is working on, take a look at the council page.

Author: Sara Boettiger is President of GATD Foundation, USA and a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Intellectual Property System

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