Boosting Singapore’s Intellectual Property Development

The Intellectual Property Academy (IP Academy) was launched in January 2003, to be the focal point for IP education, training and research in Singapore. With a mission of broadening and deepening knowledge and capabilities in intellectual property (IP) creation, protection and management, the IP Academy will bridge different disciplines, as it deals with a range of legal, technical and management issues. This is both timely and relevant, as the emergence of the knowledge economy makes it clear that IP will play an increasingly critical role in Singapore’s economic development.

In order to achieve its mission, the IP Academy has adopted two strategies, Education and Research.

Education

Through its educational charter, the IP Academy will provide lifelong learning opportunities for IP professionals, businesses and research organisations. The IP Academy has developed various educational programmes, including:

IP Engineer Training course

The IP Engineer Training course is targeted at research engineers and scientists, to build up their knowledge of the IP regime and equip them with patent mapping skills. Through training in the areas of IP Law and Patent Mapping, the IP Engineers will be armed with key tools to build up an organisation’s IP blueprint. This enables them to play a critical role in developing a company’s or research institute’s portfolio of patents, intellectual assets and overall IP strategy. The course also focuses on specialised technology areas, such as Information Technology and Biotechnology. This course is conducted on a quarterly basis, throughout the year.

Graduate Certificate in IP Law

The Graduate Certificate in IP Law is a foundation law course for individuals training to become IP professionals, such as patent agents and IP portfolio managers. Jointly organised by the IP Academy and the Faculty of Law, NUS, this course covers areas including a General Introduction to Singapore’s Legal System, IP Rights in the International Context, Patents, Trade Secrets, Trademarks, Copyright and Design.

Graduate Certificate in Patent Drafting

The Graduate Certificate in Patent Drafting is an online course designed to complement the practical training that a patent agent trainee receives during internship. Jointly organised by the IP Academy and the Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, this course covers Interpretation and Validity of Patent Specifications and Drafting of Patent Specifications.

IP Law in Chinese Economic Zones: Convergence and Divergence

The IP Law in Chinese Economic Zones is designed to provide IP professionals with a working knowledge of the IP laws in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. This will enable them to assist their clients in their business ventures into these areas. Jointly organised by the IP Academy and the Institute of Social Sciences Academia Sinica, this course will cover emerging issues, such as the legal systems in the Chinese Economic Zones, the WTO/TRIPs framework, legitimacy of parallel imports, copyright and the Internet, and patentability of computer programs.

Research

The IP Academy’s second strategy is its research charter, which aims to develop depth in IP competencies, enabling Singapore to keep at the forefront of IP developments. Various thought leadership programmes will be developed, including discussion fora, international conferences and research projects. One of its first research projects will form part of an international study spearheaded by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). This aims to track the impact made by the copyright industries on the economy of various countries. The IP Academy will be contributing through its own study on the economic impact of copyright in Singapore, in particular, how copyright contributes towards employment and Singapore’s GDP.

For more information on the IP Academy’s educational and research programmes, please visit its website at www.ipacademy.edu.sg or call 6-872 9060.