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"Infoday: Managing Intellectual Property for Start-ups with migrant and refugee backgrounds"

The DPMA provides IP information to people with migrant and refugee backgrounds

Information on industrial property rights is important not only for applicants of innovations, trade marks and designs who were born in Germany. People with migrant and refugee backgrounds also launch start-up businesses in Germany and come up with ideas that need protection. In order to reach this target group, the DPMA Information and Service Centre Berlin together with "SINGA Deutschland", "LOK. StartupCamp" and "Start-Up Your Future" hosted an information day in Berlin on 22 October 2018.

The participants came from a wide variety of countries – and their previous knowledge was as varied as their backgrounds. Some had already registered trade marks and patents in their home countries and now intend to seek protection for intellectual property which they brought with them or also for newly developed IP. Roger Hildebrandt of the DPMA Information and Service Centre Berlin explained how this works. His lecture sparked great interest among the audience and he was pleased that many of the future applicants were already able to ask questions in German – even though English was the language of the event. A translator was of course also available for the event, because a translator can be of great help in setting up a company in a foreign country.

Investing in the future of the people

Organisations such as "SINGA Deutschland", "LOK. Start-upCamp" and "Start-up your Future" support people with migrant and refugee backgrounds who want to start a business in Germany. A commitment that deserves recognition: Recently, for example, at the "Innovationstag Mittelstand des BMWi" (SME innovation day of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) Peter Altmaier, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, recognised "Start-Up Your Future" with an award for supporting refugees by arranging start-up sponsorships for them to assist them in successfully implementing a business idea.

The arrival of these people in Germany does not mean that there is no longer any need to attract skilled labour, trainees and the brightest minds. Rather, it is necessary to make targeted and quickly effective offers in order to help those people starting a business, in particular, to get off to a good start and to show them what needs to be considered with regard to industrial property rights in Germany. The DPMA takes on this challenge and will offer further services for people with a migrant background, in cooperation with local initiatives and start-up networks.

Picture: DPMA

Last updated: 26 May 2023