WTO IP Director Antony Taubman Talks About His Expectations
11 December 2014
The Business of IP Asia Forum, co-organized by the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Design Centre, featured an exhibition as well as plenary and breaks out sessions on December 4th and 5th at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Antony Taubman, Director of Intellectual Property Division of the World Trade Organization, talks to Asia IP about his ideas of IP development under the new era and how IP works could be well used after the opening session.
Since the time that WTO was established more than 20 years ago, the question of “what is the real link between Intellectual Property and trade?” has been existed, says Taubman. “We don’t have a single clear answer to that, but we do know that IP is very much embedded in trade, and we’ve learned a lot about that since the TRIPS had been signed.” We talk much today about global value chains. IP created the value chain, that’s exactly what the role is in building the progressive value chain.”
Taubman says the definition of trade today is totally different from that 15 or 20 years ago. Precisely, he says it is a transformation from “trading in things” to “trading in services and ideas”. “For example, when we purchase apps on app store, what we are doing is we are buying an license with the software, same with downloading music, films or e-books, which involve in IP.” Major part of global industries now (trade in IP) witness most striking developments.
He says BIP Asia is an interactive forum with different people sharing ideas and experiences, which is the key that matters.
