World Intellectual Property Day – April 26, 2023
Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity
Every April 26th, we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day to learn about the role that intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity.
This year, AIPLA co-hosted a standing-room only event in honor of 2023 World Intellectual Property Day to celebrate this year’s theme – Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity.
We were joined by both congressional leaders on IP issues, Sen. Chris Coons, Chair of the Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee, and Rep. Darrell Issa, Chair of the House IP Subcommittee. Sen. Mazie Hirono generously sponsored the event on Capitol Hill. We had a great lineup of speakers including USPTO Director Kathi Vidal, Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, a panel of female entrepreneurs and changemakers, and many more. The speakers noted that there has been more effort on the part of businesses and government to elevate women in the innovation space, but that more can and needs to be done to reduce barriers and make innovation and creation more accessible to all.
We thank the USPTO for coordinating the event and thank our partner organizations for co-sponsoring the event: WIPO, the U.S. Copyright Office, GIPC, INTA, ABA-IPL, LESI, USIPA, GLIPA, and IPO.
The History of World IP Day
World IP Day was launched in the year 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to promote and protect creative ideas, including music, art, trademarks, writings, and inventions. The official date for World IP Day is April 26th, but events are held all over the world throughout the springtime.
How is World IP Celebrated?
World IP Day is celebrated all over the globe in the form of panels, receptions, expos, and educational outreach for students of all ages. AIPLA works with the USPTO and WIPO to expand those celebrations across the United States. Local leads in cities across the U.S. work in teams that include local IP law associations, Chambers of Commerce, educational institutions, and educational non-profit organizations to put on these events to celebrate World IP Day.
What are the scope of past events?
Previous events range from panels for adults including attorneys and entreprenuers to events and contests for elementary, high school, college, and law students. Each location's lead or team selects the event most appropriate to their community.
