World Intellectual Property Day celebrated in Finland

The fifth Finnish celebration of the World Intellectual Property Day took place in Helsinki on Friday, 24 April 2009. This year’s Finnish theme for the celebration was ‘Recovery through innovation’.

The World IP Day is designated by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which is a specialised agency of the United Nations. The day is celebrated in over 150 countries all over the world.

Industrial property rights and copyright are both part of intellectual property

Introductory events included a two-day Innovation Parliament in Turku on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a Copyright Day at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki on Thursday.

The main ceremony included speeches on for instance the implementation of the new Finnish Innovation Strategy so far. Other measures to increase well-being were also discussed. The speakers were Finnish intellectual property experts and decision-makers from a wide range of backgrounds. Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General, sent a video message to the ceremony (http://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/ipday/2009/dg_message_09.html).

In Finland, the World IP Day has also been declared the Finnish Inventor’s Day.

For further details, please contact

Mr Juha Klemola, National Board of Patents and Registration, tel. +358 (0)9 6939 5800