WIPO Director General Honored by City of Venice
Geneva, May 13, 2004
Press Releases PR/2004/383
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, received on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, the first "Venice Award for Intellectual Property", for his leadership role in promoting respect and awareness of intellectual property. The award was presented to Dr. Idris by the Mayor of Venice, Mr. Paolo Costa, at a ceremony hosted in the Palazzo Ducale. Italy's Minister of Productive Activities, Mr. Antonio Marzano, the President of the Venice International Committee, Mr. Paolo Baratta, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Roberto Antoinione, also spoke at the ceremony which was attended by leading personalities from the world of culture and senior representatives from government and the private sector.
In presenting the award, Mr. Costa applauded Dr. Idris for his "exceptional work" in raising awareness of the importance of intellectual property in enhancing people's daily lives, and praised him for his "strong commitment" to promoting intellectual property. "For your outstanding contribution to global understanding of the central role played by intellectual property as a tool for economic growth and development in all countries throughout the world, I am deeply honored to present you with this prize," the Mayor added.
Italy's Minister of Productive Affairs, Mr. Antonio Marzano, underlined the importance of intellectual property and expressed satisfaction that the first Venice Award for Intellectual Property, which had been established to coincide with the 530th anniversary of the enactment of the first patent law of the Republic of Venice, was presented to Dr. Idris in recognition of his efforts to promote intellectual property.
Mr. Marzano said that as a result of Dr. Idris' efforts, innovation and research will prosper. He praised the Director General for his "exceptional" work.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Roberto Antoinione, congratulated the Director General on his efforts to promote an intellectual property culture as well as emphasizing the link between intellectual property and economic, social and cultural development.
The President of the Venice International Committee, Mr. Paolo Baratta, reminded the audience of Venice's pioneering role in establishing the first ever patent law which created incentives for inventors.
Dr. Idris said he was "deeply honored and privileged" to receive the first Venice prize. He stressed that the correlation between human progress and the ability to invent, innovate and imagine a better world is indisputable.
The Director General said that today's economic realities and unprecedented technological developments are transforming communities, societies and business practices around the world. "Our goal, therefore, is to enable countries to mine, market, produce, compete and trade in the one natural resource that is common to all communities and nations: the inventiveness and creativity of their people."
Dr. Idris pledged his Organization's commitment to continue to work with all countries in demystifying intellectual property and in making intellectual property a real tool for economic and social development and wealth creation.
The award ceremony was held on the eve of the International Conference on Design organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Italian Government at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice on May 13 and 14, 2004. The WIPO-Italy International Conference on Design will bring together representatives from the private and public sectors to discuss the importance of intellectual property protection to design-related industries. This event will provide a forum for exchanging views on the importance to business development of the international protection of designs. It will also identify ways to more effectively use the WIPO-administered Hague system for the International Protection of Industrial Designs.
A program is available at https://www.wipo.int/meetings/2004/venice/en/index.html. The Conference is open to the public.
The Conference is the first high-level event to be organized since the entry into force of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs on December 23, 2003. The Geneva Act, which became operational on April 1, 2004 introduces a number of important changes that enhance the existing system by making it more compatible with the registration system in countries such as the United States and Japan where protection of industrial designs is contingent on examination to determine the acceptability of an application.
For further information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO:
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