Launch of HIP website at HIP-SMU Awareness Road Show

SMU Is HIP! - The HIP Alliance Partners Singapore Management University to Educate Its Students on the Importance of Intellectual Property.

Singapore, 19 Sept 2005 – The HIP-SMU IP Awareness Road Show officially kicked off this afternoon at the Singapore Management University (SMU). This is the first time that the HIP (Honour Intellectual Property) Alliance is partnering an institute of higher learning to reach out to its students on intellectual property awareness.

Speaking of the road show, Ms Liew Woon Yin, Director-General of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) said that this event marks a new chapter for the HIP Alliance’s outreach programme.

“This is the first time that the HIP Alliance is collaborating with a tertiary institution to spread the awareness of intellectual property (IP) issues among students. I look forward to a very rewarding collaboration between us.”

She also highlighted the importance of reaching out to young Singaporeans to give them basic guidance when making IP-related decisions. Addressing the students, she said,

“Many of you may not be well-acquainted with the subject of IP and may infringe IP rights unknowingly.” Therefore, the HIP Alliance is working hard to create programmes such as the HIP-SMU IP Awareness Road Show to reach out to them

Echoing the same sentiments is Professor Tan Chin Tiong, Provost of SMU:

“Respecting intellectual property is an important value which we would like to see upheld by SMU students. There are many opportunities in a university environment to honour intellectual property; whether it is the correct attribution of source materials in research or the authorised reproduction of information from the Internet. The launch of the HIP road show also kicks off SMU’s 2005 arts festival, our talent showcase. Artistic expression is to be respected and protected as another important form of intellectual property.”

Highlights of the two day roadshow include workshops conducted by guest speakers from the creative industries such as Mr Daniel Yun, CEO MediaCorp Raintree Pictures and instructors from Lee Wei Song Music School. Local celebrities such as Sheik Haikel, Eileen Wee and Mark Waite will also make special appearances to show their support. It is hoped that interaction between the speakers and students will help the latter better understand the tremendous effort in bringing a creative product to market and spur them to adopt a lifestyle that respect and rewards creativity.

Participants at the opening ceremony also witnessed the launch of the HIP Alliance website. Built as a lifestyle multi-purpose e-platform, the website serves as an effective channel for feedback on public IP education. Browsers will also be able to read up on the latest information on IP and be exposed to new range of products at the HIP website. To visit the HIP website, please log on to http://www.hipfriends.org.sg

For media enquiries, please contact:

Melanie Koh
Customer & Corporate Communications
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: +65 6331 6574
Mobile: +65 97961015
Fax: +65 6331 6562
Email: Melanie_KOH@ipos.gov.sg
Visit us at www.ipos.gov.sg

Chua Loo Lin
Senior Manager
Office of Corporate Communications
Singapore Management University
DID: 68280235
Mobile: 98514175
Email: llchua@smu.edu.sg

About IPOS
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore or IPOS is the lead government agency that formulates and regulates Intellectual Property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the greater development of IP in Singapore. With IP fast becoming a critical resource in today’s new economy, IPOS’s vision is to foster a creative Singapore where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. Formerly known as the Registry of Trade Marks and Patents, IPOS was established as a statutory board of the Ministry of Law on 1 April 2001. More information on IPOS can be found on www.ipos.gov.sg

About HIP Alliance
HIP stands for Honour Intellectual Property. It is IPOS’ key educational initiative to encourage innovation and creativity in Singapore, with strong support from the private sector, public sector and industry associations. HIP aims to promote a positive attitude towards IP and encourages a Pro-IP lifestyle for everyone to ‘Be Creative, Be Original, and Be HIP’. With support from the HIP Alliance members, IPOS intends to motivate the Singapore community to join together to ‘Say No to Piracy’ and support legitimate businesses that create legitimate products and services to make Singapore an IP safe country.

About SMU
Incorporated on 12 January 2000, SMU's aim is to groom outstanding business leaders and creative entrepreneurs capable of excelling in a rapidly changing and dynamic world. A collaboration with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania allows SMU to draw on Wharton's academic and research strengths across all major disciplines. Today, SMU is home to over 3,800 students and comprises four schools: Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Accountancy, School of Economics & Social Sciences and School of Information Systems. SMU offers bachelor's degree programmes in Business Management, Accountancy, Economics, Information Systems Management and Social Science. The university offers master's degree programmes in Wealth Management, Applied Finance, Applied Economics and in Economics and Finance (by research). It also has a dedicated Office of Research and provides public and customised programmes through Executive Education. The newly completed SMU city campus is a state-of-the art facility located right in the heart of Singapore's civic and business district. www.smu.edu.sg.