The Challenges of Teaching and Training in Intellectual Property

Abstract

The article discusses the challenges of teaching Intellectual Property (IP) in the University of Campinas (Unicamp, Brazil), with reference to the data obtained from a large survey and analysis of the disciplines offered in the undergraduate, graduate and university extension courses, and interviews with professors responsible for these courses and disciplines. The results indicate that although Unicamp has a prominent role in promoting innovation, occupying the second position in the ranking of the largest depositors of patent applications in Brazil, the teaching of the subject in the institution still relies on individual initiatives of the professors themselves, being exclusively dependent on the interest and skills of these individuals rather than a more general orientation of the university. The discussion closes with some observations as to how education and training in IP could be improved, in an attempt to convert them into instruments conducive to the promotion of innovation within nations.Keywords: intellectual property rights; 21st university century; national innovation system; knowledge society. However, the establishment of a culture of intellectual property, either at country level, or at the level of educational institutions depends on the level of awareness of the importance of valuing creative ideas, the importance of respecting property rights of third parties, of the possibility of the economic exploitation of research results, as well as the teaching of IP.Research conducted by Dalmarco et al (2011) points out that although some Brazilian universities are protecting the results of their research through patenting, questions remain which need to be clarified and that relate to higher closer relations with industry, especially in refers to the activities of technology transfer. This is because the authors believe that the offices of technology transfer (OTT) of universities still lack a managerial level able to make the most of all the benefits of the inventive activities performed. Accordingly, Rojas (2007) argues for the need of institutions to make efforts to establish coherent policies related to the implementation of the management of research results, particularly with regard to the actions of technology transfer. The author believes that it is necessary to establish guidelines for seizing the value of what is generated internally.It is clear, therefore, that all issues previously raised are necessarily the culture of IP, including the training of human resources for the confrontation of the issue, both within the university (IP policy management of the institution), as outside (preparation of human resources for the market, for example).Therefore, this article presents the current situation regarding the teaching of intellectual property in one of the most important universities in Brazil, the University of Campinas (Unicamp). This is a research university, given its profile of a university with more graduate than undergraduate courses and students, a fact that suggests a strong...

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