Opening Remarks by Ms Liew Woon Yin at the Launch of the HIP Alliance Website at Singapore Management University

Opening Remarks by Ms Liew Woon Yin, Director-General, Intellectual Property Office Of Singapore at the Launch of The HIP Alliance Website at Singapore Management University (SMU) on 19 September 2005

Professor Howard Hunter
President
Singapore Management University

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to be here this afternoon for the opening ceremony of SMU Arts & Culture Festival 2005 and especially for the launch of the HIP Alliance website. 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.
Intellectual property or IP is all about reward. IP systems like copyright, trade marks and patents ensure that the intellectual effort and investments in bringing creative ideas and innovation to market are protected and rewarded. Without IP protection and reward, there would be little incentive to continue to break new ground to bring about new products and services that we all enjoy.
So why should we bother about IP? I would say there are two main reasons. Firstly, it is for our own selfish vested interest and secondly, it is in our national interest.
Let me explain. You may not realise it but IP is everywhere. It is in the movies that keep us spellbound, the songs that touch so deeply, the clothes that help us present our best side and the many gadgets that are now indispensable to modern living. We get to enjoy all these things in our daily lives because of IP. To continue to enjoy the best that creativity and innovation can offer, shouldn’t we be selfish about it?
IP is especially critical in Singapore’s context. With the rise of China and India as outsourcing destinations of the world, Singapore needs to compete not so much on costs and efficiency alone but more on ideas and innovation. IP is the means to that end. We need to support our own budding industries as they move up the value chain to create valuable IP. We need to play our part to respect and reward their creative efforts.
So what can we do to help? We can do the right thing. Make it your lifestyle practice to reject piracy and to go for the real thing. Why support illegitimate businesses that rip off other’s creative efforts? Do you know where your money might be going? Piracy activities, according to some sources, have been linked with organised crime, drug trafficking and even terrorism. I say – it is better to invest in our own future and support legitimate businesses because they bring real value back to the consumers.
To get this important message out, IPOS, in addition to maintaining a strong IP law regime, has taken on an active role in educating the public. We have launched various educational initiatives, each catering to the needs of specific target groups.
One important target group is students. Many of you may not be well-acquainted with the subject of IP and may infringe IP rights unknowingly. The advent of technology and the emergence of new gadgets that facilitate peer to peer sharing and duplication do not help the situation. These developments are not however passports for IP infringement. We all need to learn the right etiquette and approach in dealing with IP rights in this environment.
The seed must be planted from young. We introduced Iperckidz, in 2003 specially tailored for primary and secondary school students. The students are engaged through interactive platforms such as school talks, IP camps and an online portal. Information is provided in bite-size chunks to assist these students in understanding the topic better. In addition, the online portal also provides learning materials to encourage teachers to discuss the topic of IP as part of the school curriculum.
To reach out to students from tertiary institutions and young adults in general, IPOS launched the HIP (Honour IP) Alliance in 2002. It is a movement to rally public support for creativity and legitimate businesses. The mantra of HIP Alliance is “Be Creative. Be Original. Be HIP. Honour IP.” We encourage members of public to pledge themselves as IP ambassadors and join us as HIP Friends, promising to uphold the spirit of HIP Alliance. Over the last three years, we have seen encouraging results in terms of the number of HIP Friends sign-ups. Even though we are just taking initial steps towards creating a pro-IP Singapore, we are confident that we are heading in the right direction.
To ensure that the HIP Alliance has constant contacts with our HIP Friends, we have created an online portal which will be launched shortly. This website serves as a multi-purpose lifestyle platform where members of the public and HIP Friends can interact with IPOS. The HIP portal also provides the latest reviews in games, music and movies. Browsers can get their latest dose of IP and IP-related news on this website, written in a way that demonstrates IP can be fun and easy to relate to.
We also see the importance to reach out to our target audience on a personal basis. Hence, we have created programmes such as the HIP-SMU IP Awareness road show that allow IPOS officers and guest speakers to mingle with students and share with them first-hand information on IP. Over the next two days, SMU students will be attending a series of IP related workshops, giving them opportunity to interact with guest speakers from various creative industries and hear their experiences. I hope this road show will be a hit with SMU students and can you appreciate the value of IP.
Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Howard Hunter and the staff of SMU. Your support has been instrumental to the establishment of this road show and we look forward to more collaborative activities going forward. I would also like to commend the efforts of the Student Council of Discipline. Your help in organising this event has been invaluable. With this, it is my pleasure and honour to declare the HIP-SMU IP Awareness Road Show open. Please enjoy yourselves.

Thank you.