Singapore, 14 April 2009 – Most Singaporeans understand the importance of protecting intellectual property (IP) rights and are aware of the legal consequences of IP rights infringement. These were some of the findings of the second biennial IP Perception Survey commissioned by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) to investigate the perceptions of Singaporeans towards IP and to discern shifts in attitudes towards IP rights and IP rights infringement. The first survey was conducted in 2006.
Ms Liew Woon Yin, Director-General of IPOS said, “While it is encouraging to see a high awareness level on the importance of IP rights protection and that Singaporeans understand IP rights infringement can result in legal consequences, we need to continue to promote greater awareness among Singaporeans of the negative impacts of IP rights infringement and foster a higher level of respect for IP to encourage more Singaporeans to choose original products.”
Almost nine out of ten respondents surveyed say they understand the importance of protecting IP rights and more than 90 percent are aware that copyright infringement and downloading from unauthorised sources can give rise to legal consequences. The majority (82.4%) are aware that downloading from unauthorised sources is illegal and more than half think that they are likely to be caught for doing so.
Other key findings from the survey include:
Strong support and respect for creators of original products
More than 80 percent say they see the need to show support and respect for creators of original products. More than half agree that buying counterfeit/pirated products and downloading from unauthorised sources are forms of theft.
Advertising and promotion (A&P) efforts have been effective
Amongst those who had seen or heard related A&P, eight out of 10 respondents indicated they are more aware of the effects of piracy and close to half of the respondents actually bought legitimate products because of the A&P efforts.
More fear being caught for downloading from unauthorised sources
More than half say they are likely to be caught for downloading non originals which is an 14 percentage-point increase compared to the first survey done in 2006.
More are persuaded to buy original goods
About two out of three respondents say A&P efforts have made them want to buy original products only. This translates to a 18 percentage-point increase compared to the 2006 findings. In fact, there is a 6 percentage-point increase in respondents who have actually purchased original products due to the A&P efforts.
Please refer to the Fact Sheet in Annex A for more details of the IP Perception Survey 2008 findings.
With World IP Day approaching on 26 April, the announcement of these survey results is a timely opportunity to remind Singaporeans that IP rights protection is important and there are consequences associated with IP rights infringement. IPOS will also roll out several activities in celebration of World IP Day in the month of April 2009 (Please refer to Annex B).
Ms Liew concluded, “IP rights awareness promotion and education continue to be important tools to address the concerns raised from the survey results. IPOS is committed to continue our education and promotion efforts to cultivate amongst Singaporeans a higher level of respect for IP rights protection.”
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Clara Wee
Assistant Director, Public Relations Department
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: +65 6331 6574
Fax: +65 6331 6562
Email: clara_wee@ipos.gov.sg
Ms Angelia Chia
Assistant Director, Public Outreach Department
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: +65 6331 6572
Fax: +65 6331 6562
Email: angelia_chia@ipos.gov.sg
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), a statutory board under the Ministry of Law since April 2001, is the lead government agency that advises on and administers intellectual property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the 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. More information on IPOS can be found on www.ipos.gov.sg.