foto: Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels
In ancient Greek mythology, the goddess of youth and the youngest of all divinities was Hebe. The daughter of Zeus and Hera, Hebe was the cupbearer for the goddesses and gods. She served them with ambrosia which, in turn, conferred longevity or even immortality on those who consumed it.
Like the divinities of Mount Olympus, intellectual property (IP) is constantly being fed by younger generations of designers, creators, and inventors. It is therefore particularly relevant that 2022 is the European Year of Youth and that this year’s World Intellectual Property Day (26 April 2022) focuses on ‘IP and Youth Innovating for a Better Future’ and explores how innovative, energetic and creative minds are driving positive change.
Youth as makers of IP
Throughout the history of IP, young designers, creators, and inventors have always existed.
In the design field, just think of a fashion giant like Yves Saint Laurent, who found himself appointed head designer of the House of Dior at the age of 21, or an industrial design pioneer like Dieter Rams, who became chief design officer of Braun at 29.
If we turn to the arts, Mary Shelley, finalised her most famous novel, Frankenstein, when she was 18 and published it at 20; a landmark voice of American poetry like Sylvia Plath completed all her literary work before her death at the age of 31; Jean-Michel Basquiat, who died at 27, rose to success when he was not even 20; the oldest member of rock band sensation, Måneskin, that won both the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy and the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021, was born in 1999.
In the technical field, in 1843 Ada Lovelace published what is regarded as the first computer programme when she was 28; Ernő Rubik developed the eponymous Cube (an object well-known to trade mark lawyers!) at the age of 30.
The registration of IP rights has also played a pivotal role in protecting ingenious innovations and ideas. Christian Louboutin, for example, created his iconic red sole when he was 30. After seeing a girl applying red polish to her nails, he had the idea of using it on the sole of his shoes. Today the red sole is a registered trade mark and has also been at the centre of important case law.
Youth as consumers and users of IP … both lawfully and unlawfully
Younger generations are of course also keen consumers and users of IP and IP-based services. The fast-rising popularity of social media like TikTok among younger Millennials and Generation Z is testimony to this. So is the fact that most users of streaming services like Spotify and Netflix are under the age of 40.
This said, younger generations are also more exposed to the consumption of unlawful content and the purchase of counterfeits. A recent study published by the EUIPO reveals that there is a positive association between the proportion of young people (aged 15 to 24) in a country’s population and the extent of film piracy.
This is not surprising, also considering that a 2020 survey of European citizens regarding IP perception, awareness, and behaviour indicates that disapproval of purchasing counterfeits varies among age groups: young people (under 24 years old) are more likely to agree with justifications for purchasing counterfeit goods.
The importance of IP awareness and education
In light of the above, it is therefore clear that creating and enhancing awareness of IP among younger age groups is of paramount importance.
The EUIPO plays a substantial part in this through a diverse range of initiatives, including traineeships offered in cooperation with several universities across Europe and Virtual School Visits developed under the umbrella of the EUIPO Virtual Campus Programme. The Virtual Campus programme allows school classes to follow a virtual learning journey to learn about the EU, the importance of IP, and the activities of the Office. The EUIPO also runs a grant scheme aimed at raising awareness of IP and its importance among the younger generations.
Besides providing several learning resources and IP courses on its Academy Learning Portal, the Office has set up a network of experts (IP in Education) from the education ministries of the EU Member States and representatives from national IP offices as well as other key stakeholders. The key objective of the network is to discuss and create common approaches to IP in educational activities. The IP in Education programme has resulted, among other things, in the development of teaching materials and courses on IP.
Last but not least, the EUIPO also runs the DesignEurope Awards (DEA), which celebrate excellence in design and design management among registered Community design holders. Among the 2021 finalists there were also young designers like Carolin Kunert, founder of Knister Grill, who was also featured in the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ 2020 list.
Young (IP) love: the way forward
Hebe was the most revered by goddesses and gods because of her power to keep them eternally young. Younger generations should be also held to account in terms of IP: young designers, creators, and inventors are responsible for some of the most innovative advancements and ideas; young audiences drive the development and emergence of cutting-edge content and products, as well as new ways to access them. Empirical studies, however, also suggest that younger users and consumers may be less aware than older generations of the importance of IP and the lawful consumption of content and goods. As such, dedicated education and awareness building efforts are particularly important.
In conclusion: cheers to the young and happy World IP Day to everyone, young and … less young!