The Future?   “Ask the next generation” says the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) as it kicks off World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) on 26 April 2013.  This year their focus is Creativity:  The Next Generation.

WIPO’s focus is to further promote the awareness of intellectual property protection, expand the influence of intellectual property protection across the world, urge countries to publicise and popularise intellectual property protection laws and regulations, enhance the public legal awareness of intellectual property rights, encourage invention-innovation activities in various countries and strengthen international exchange in the intellectual property field.”

“As the largest IP Law firm in the southern hemisphere, with over 105 years of expertise in all things IP, our bread and butter is to protect all aspects of IP and our passion is to protect the innovation of all our clients.  These are often intangible assets, which carry so much goodwill and value,” says Gérard du Plessis, chairman of Adams & Adams. “We have a very good and longstanding relationship with WIPO and support this initiative fully.”

“As with everything these days, where are we without the youth?  They are the next generation and we need to enable them to realise their full potential.”

“As part of our commitment to WIPD, and aspiring young talent, attorneys from the law firm will be offering free half hour consultations on Intellectual Property matters – with the aim of particularly empowering the youth,” says du Plessis.

“Predicting the future is an uncertain endeavour at best, but that doesn’t keep us from trying.” And with ever greater access to information, instant communication, new forms of collaboration and crowd-sourcing, our predictions, and often our inventions, are becoming more frequent, more outrageous, and more accurate.

“We know, for example, as WIPO says - that cars will soon drive themselves. That our sight and speech – eventually our brains – will interact more directly with, and effectively control, our computers. Which will in turn become much smaller and be worn on – or inside – our bodies. This will all have a profound effect on how we live – how we think, how we work, how we learn, heal, enjoy. What used to be science fiction is now fact. What is the future beyond the future? What disruptive technology is now just an idea bouncing around a young engineer’s mind? Who will create the next online sensation that again changes how we talk to each other? What new music will emerge from a garage somewhere to rock the world’s dance floors or unnerve the academy? Who are tomorrow’s great artists and innovators? How are they working; how do they create? And how will they get their creations to market in a world where the game changes, almost daily?  Ask the youth.”

Appointments can be made by no later than 25 April 2013, for a free consultation between 09h00 and 15h00 on 26 April 2013.  Contact Elizabeth van Niekerk for more information on 012 432 6000.
Come along to Adams & Adams on 26 April 2013, and we will show you how to engage your creativity and innovation with a consultation which will show you the best way to hook up with IP and protection of your work.

With thanks to the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

By Gerard du Plessis, Chairman of Adams & Adams