The campus is a breeding ground of ideas and knowledge, but the paradox of this privilege is the danger of piracy and plagiarism.
The Intellectual Property Advocates (IPA) is the first ever student organization established in the Philippines that aims to spread awareness of Intellectual Property rights. The organization is a neophyte organization under the De La Salle Intellectual Property Office, and was established October of 2010. The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines recognized this pioneer organization as the first of its kind in the country in its periodic visits to schools last August 10, 2011.
Unlike most student organizations, the IPA is not under the Council of Student Organizations (CSO).
“It is not under the Council of Student Organizations (CSO). It is a separate entity under the Center for Business Research and Development Department [of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research]” explains Julia Arsenal, executive vice chair person for externals of the IPA.
A student organization for intellectual roperty
The organization owes its conception to Atty. Christopher Cruz, director of the Intellectual Property Rights Office (IPO).
The organization was meant to diffuse the functions of the IPO, specifically in spreading the awareness of intellectual property. Cruz wanted a student arm for this particular sector of the university. “The Office of Career and Counselling Services (OCCS), they have there own student arm. I thought of having one and I asked the help of the former college president [of the college of business] of that time,” he says.
Awareness comes both in the form of protecting student’s works and preventing plagiarism. “We promote awareness in simple ways. Refusing to buy pirated CD’s or pirated items is one. We also want students to be aware that they can register their works as a copyrighted material and have a sense of ownership towards their designs, write-ups or whatever inventions they make” says Arsenal..
Making October the inellecutal property awareness month, the IPA takes the opportunity to launch an IPA week filled with intellectual property awarness campaigns and seminars.
IPA plans to incorporate an intellectual property module in the general subject ENGLRES, but the IPA plans further to impose a general class just for its awareness.
Funding IPA activities
Like any other organization, it needs funds for it to function so it could implement and execute its advocacies and activities. Cruz mentions that the IPA already has a certain amount allocated for its activities.
“But I told them just like any other student organization, they have to make their own funding, their own budget. So basically they will follow the same fundraising activity of the other organizations,” he adds.
Overcoming initial challenges
Cruz and Arsenal admit that they have had difficulty efficiently functioning as an organization because of the diversity of the IPA’s membership.
“We come from different fields. Others are from engineering, others are from College of Science, College of Liberal arts, so we are not really that unified,” Arsenal says.
The promotion of intellectual property itself is seen as a challenge. “I think we should take it one step at a time. We know that copying without asking permission is illegal but since the [present] culture allows such, society itself does not regard intellectual property that highly because it is not there in their consciousness. I guess the first step is making people aware of what intellectual property is and how intellectual property can help the lives of people” Cruz explains.
“Intellectual property is not very popular, it is not very [well] known by a lot of people, even adults. [It’s not only] students who are not familiar with intellectual property,” Arsenal furthers.
The organization has also faced problems in raising awareness about its existence. Because it is not part of the CSO, the organization is not that well known among students. During the CSO recruitment week, the organization received few applicants.
“We actually participated in the CSO recruitment week, we got like less than ten students. It’s an open application so anyone who wants to inquire or apply, they can just proceed to the Vice Dean’s office to request a form or [that person] can contact us,” Arsenal sa
“[Cruz] organized the University Student Government to recruit applicants to the intellectual property office” said Arsenal.
Despite being seemingly out of radar, the young organization pushes for the promotion of intellectual property to make the university a better environment for academic liberty.
