Daren Tang, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), visits Spain

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Daren Tang, visited Spain from February 10 to 13.

For this reason, the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM), together with the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Instituto de Empresa (IE School), organized a public event "Innovating for a better future. Youth and IP", theme chosen this year to celebrate World Intellectual and Industrial Property Day.

During the meeting, Daren Tang held an inspiring conversation with young creatives and innovators, to address the role of Intellectual and Industrial Property in the framework of entrepreneurship and innovation, especially in small and medium-sized companies and startups.

The event was attended by Paula Babiano, founder and CEO of Balbisiana; Núria Amigó, CEO and Co-founder of Biosfer Teslab; Ernesto Cebollero, lawyer specializing in intellectual and industrial property; singers and composers such as Valeria Castro and Jacobo Serra, and Lara Rodríguez and Lara Marín, creatives linked to the video game sector.

The main conclusions of this meeting are the need to create an ecosystem conducive to innovation, as the main challenge for countries when it comes to supporting the importance of assets protected by intellectual and industrial property.

The Director General of WIPO, Daren Tang, urged Spain to believe in its great talent and not to be afraid or timid when it comes to exporting, since the national market remains small. In statements by Daren Tang: “Spain has been a motor of technological innovation. Many of your scientists have made important discoveries over the centuries. One of the fathers of biology is also Spanish. And I realize when I talk to Spanish entrepreneurs. Go out and conquer the world, stop being so shy!”.

The following day, a working meeting was held at the OEPM headquarters, in which some of the most relevant and interesting issues between the two organizations were discussed. In particular, the OEPM staff tried to transfer to the director of WIPO some of the actions of the Spanish office in relation to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Madrid System, the Locarno Union or even enforcement and counterfeiting issues, in addition to highlighting the necessary WIPO-OEPM cooperation, and specifically the Spanish Trust Fund and the WIPO Academy.

More information

Video of the conference-OEPM YouTube channel

Video: Intellectual Property and Youth: Innovating for a better future

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