How to use this Teaching Pack

This pack contains everything required to start teaching pupils about Intellectual Property (IP):

The curriculum map  shows the ways IP is relevant to the subjects in schools.  There are photocopiable worksheets with activities for each of the forms of IP, which can be issued as classwork or homework.  They are aimed to take 30 minutes each to complete, and the answers are included in the Appendix.  The worksheets all follow the same format of Background, Examples, Process and Activities.

What is Intellectual Property?

Creative processes generate new ideas, whether in the field of product design, music, art, or elsewhere.  These ideas which may have commercial value are the Intellectual Property (IP) of the creator, whether they are an individual or a company organisation.  IP can have enormous commercial value, and can be traded as a commodity.  However commercially valuable ideas can be at risk if not carefully protected, and others may gain commercial advantage as a result.  Over the last three hundred years five different forms of IP protection have been developed, over and above the first type ever used: confidentiality.  These five types of protection are: Trademark, Patent, Registered Design, Copyright and Design Right.

Why is IP important?

IP is important as it brings economic benefits to those who know how to take advantage of it.  The two main ways in which this is achieved are:

Since the end of the Second World War, Britain has developed one third of all worldwide patents.  Despite this strong showing of creative research, Britain’s position in global economic rankings has steadily declined, as many ideas are developed commercially overseas.  Better understanding of IP rights, otherwise known as IPR, would help reduce this wastage.  One aspect of the patenting process that many are unaware of is that whilst the patent gives its owner the exclusive rights to that idea, as part of the process the patent is published and thus the idea is made public for any interested parties to see, including competitors.  This has two results: firstly, competitors can keep an eye on what the opposition are working on and see which way the market may be going, and secondly, 65% of research and development (R+D) work has been done before and is already publicly available in the Patents Library.  Visiting the Patent Library can save vast sums of money from R+D budgets.  The primary aim of the Patenting process is to encourage innovation.