The first EU-wide interactive website dedicated to young people and intellectual property (IP) is launched today.
The Ideas Powered site is supported by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), acting through the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights.
The site brings together contributions from young designers, composers, entrepreneurs and artists from all across the EU to show how IP underpins and supports innovation and creativity. Ideas Powered website also includes a video competition which invites young people to submit their views on how intellectual property matters to them.
Today’s release follows on from a 2014 study carried out by OHIM into how EU citizens – including young people – perceive intellectual property. The results showed that eight out of ten 15-24 year olds in the EU believe that buying counterfeit products has a negative economic effect, and two thirds agree that illegal downloading is a threat to the economy and jobs.
However, 50% still justify buying counterfeits as an act of protest or a smart purchase and 57% think illegally accessing copyright-protected content for personal use is acceptable.
The President of OHIM, António Campinos, said: “This website follows on from our 2014 study, and builds on its results. It aims to provide a fresh outlook on IP – it features contributions from young Europeans who use intellectual property to support their businesses, their livelihoods, their hobbies and their interests. The website is a two way portal; we’ll be seeking the views of young people on all aspects of IP in their lives and inviting their contributions too.”
Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market
