Most students and recent graduates in affluent Singapore are similar to their contemporaries in other developed economies: They know intellectual property rights exist but are unclear about how protections like copyrights are used and what they mean to the economy and their future.
Eighty-five percent of the participants in a recent survey indicated they are familiar with copyrights. Trademark is the second most familiar type of IP to them, with 84 percent stating so. Seventy-three percent said they were aware of patents.
These were among the key findings of a Singapore IP and Youth survey jointly conducted by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the National Youth Council (NYC). The survey, participated in by 1,000 respondents aged 16 – 34, was unveiled on April 26, 2022 at an event celebrating World IP Day.
54% of the students surveyed said they would like more government education programs covering intellectual property.
IP Awareness is Not Understanding
“Despite their general awareness of IP, their knowledge about types of IP dipped to around 20 percent when probed further,” said the IPOS in a statement. “Only 17 percent can identify three types of IP which also include industrial designs, trade secrets and geographical indications.”
About half of the students surveyed, 54%, said they would like more government education programs covering intellectual property.
For a video on the survey findings go here.
Insights from the IP and youth panel discussion is here.
As part of the Singapore IP Strategy 2030 that was unveiled last year, young working professionals can expect to receive more structured guidance to develop IA/IP skills across industry sectors. IPOS and SkillsFuture Singapore say they will work together to integrate IA/IP skills and competencies into relevant job roles and career maps for more developmental pathways in IP.
Image source: IPOS
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