Starting the new 2018/2019 school year, general education, academic secondary education and vocational secondary education teachers will have the opportunity to integrate intellectual property issues in their lessons, thus contributing to the formation of a responsible and innovative new generation.
European Union Intellectual Property Office’s (EUIPO) studies show that young people are lacking information on intellectual property, and the available information is presented in an ineffective way for the specific age group.
In order to improve teachers and students understanding of intellectual property rights, the Latvian Patent Office in co-operation with the National Centre for Education of the Republic of Latvia have developed methodological material “The Journey into the Industrial Property World”, which was launched earlier this week.
Director of the Latvian Patent Office, Mr. Sandris Laganovskis emphasized, “Intellectual property protection issues are gradually being included in the content of various school subjects around the world, especially in the countries of the European Union, thus young people will be better informed about the protection possibilities and its benefits. The methodological material “The Journey into the Industrial Property World” is the first such material in Latvia and among the few in the European Union, which interdisciplinary and broadly covers such industrial property topics as patents, trademarks, designs, geographical indications and protection against counterfeiting.”
Currently the Latvian educational standards pay more attention to copyright and related rights issues. However, the new competency-based learning curriculum will put also emphasis on industrial property.
Director of the National Centre for Education, Mr. Guntars Catlaks says, “Over the last few years, there has been a substantial change – now the value is determined not only by what we can create with our own hands, but what we can create intellectually by our minds. Intellectual property, innovation –we expect these things from our future students. We have included these issues in the new content of education. We hope that this methodological material will encourage and help educators to teach about intellectual property, its role and value in today’s society.”
Some students are already creating new and innovative solutions that improve our everyday lives, however, not all of them think about their intellectual work’ s protection at a time. It is important, because in the future they might gain commercial benefits from their work. Chair of the ‘Junior Achievement Latvia’ board, Mr. Jānis Krievāns states, “Taking into account the availability of a wide range of digital content and rapid development of innovations, understanding of the value of intellectual property is more important than ever. In the school curriculum, these issues are often just a theory without real use. In the ‘Junior Achievement Latvia’, educational enterprise programs, young people themselves create and realize business ideas that are based on technical or artistic creativity, which require protection of intellectual property. For them this new material will be especially valuable.”
In order to introduce teachers to the new methodological material and the covered topics, representatives from the Patent Office in the following weeks will visit several schools in various regions of Latvia and offer educational seminars.
About the methodological material “The Journey into the Industrial Property World”:
The purpose of this methodological material is to include topics on industrial property and its protection in the learning process for students in grades 1. – 12. An integral part of this methodological material is four animated films that provide a better understanding of the subject and contribute to the fulfilment of the tasks included in the material.
This material is recommended as a part of the general education, academic secondary education and vocational secondary education subjects such as social sciences, economics, politics and law, mathematics, history. The content of the material promotes pupil’s knowledge, skills, attitude and understanding of the rights of authors, designers, inventors, entrepreneurs and teach them to respect other’s rights.
The methodological material ‘The Journey into the Industrial property World` is available here:
Animation ‘What is Intellectual Property, Trademark, Patent and Design?’ is available here >>>
Information prepared by:
Santa Siliņa
Senior officer
Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia
Phone: 67220113
e-mail: santa.silina@lrpv.gov.lv
