Updated and streamlined, IPBasics.org 2.0 has been re-designed to provide a range of audiences clear answers about why IP rights matter and what they impact.
In addition to quick, basic descriptions of what IP rights are, whom they benefit and how, there are Infographics and Data Visualization sections. The website is curated by The Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU), the nonprofit established in 2016.
“Intellectual property touches virtually every aspect of innovation and creativity,” said Brian Hinman, ex-Chief IP Officer at Philips, IP licensing executive at IBM and monetization leader at InterDigital, “yet its role in encouraging investment, collaboration and economic growth remains widely misunderstood. IPBasics.com bridges the disconnect.”
CIPU has found that inventors, content creators, students and entrepreneurs, as well as IP professionals, are frustrated when it comes to communicating the importance of patents, copyrights and trade secrets. The requirements of relatively simple trademarks can be confusing, too.
Updated and Streamlined
Part of the problem is the abstract nature of intangible assets, like IP rights. Another, is the false narratives that are perpetuated by the media and some businesses whose interest is to mislead about the relevance and use of IP rights. In recent years, this has been compounded by AI, which “scrapes” and repackages copyrighted content and uses proprietary assets, including trade secrets, to enhance its performance.
“In a rapid-fire world, images are often better-retained than definitions,” said Bruce Berman, CIPU Chairman and an IP communications specialist. “IPBasics.org provides clear, concise, example-driven descriptions of IP rights and facts about them that are relevant to a range of audiences.”
The main menu of IPBasics.org includes About; IP Impacts (Value, Jobs, Theft, Healthy Competition); IP Essentials (Types of IP, Why Care? Summary Grid); and Resources (notable Infographics and Data Visualizations).
Educators like Rafael Cardona (Assistant Professor of Business, Entrepreneurship and Marketing at Glendale Community College) and Sara Leikin, Ed.D. (Chief of Global Learning Experiences and STEM Education, the Center for Science and Industry) use IPBasics.org, as well as entrepreneurs and executives like Scott Frank, former President of AT&T IP and Chairman of the U.S. IP Alliance (USIPA).
Example-Driven Definitions
“By making IP accessible through clear explanations and real-world examples,” says Hinman, “IPBasics.org helps equip the next generation of inventors, content creators and business leaders with the understanding they need to turn great ideas into meaningful impact, while giving audiences a context for the importance.”
IPBasics.org audiences include, entrepreneurs, inventors, content creators, educators, students, inventors, policy makers and AI users. Expect regular updates.
Please reachout to CIPU if you have suggestions, especially for visual content. explore@understandingip.org.
Image source: CIPU; ipcloseup.com
