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World Intellectual Property Day 2022: DPMA President praises young inventors’ eagerness for innovation

World Intellectual Property Day focuses on young innovators – In the past ten years, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office saw approximately 70 patent applications by young people – DPMA President: “IP knowledge offers young people true future prospects.”

Press release of 25 April 2022

Munich. On the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day, the President of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), Cornelia Rudloff-Schäffer, recognised the youth’s eagerness for innovation. “Young people’s creative and outcome-oriented approach to handling technical problems is often impressive,” said the DPMA President. She added: “Their inventiveness can be seen not only in many contests, but also consistently in IP applications filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office.” Cornelia Rudloff-Schäffer also drummed up support for building young people’s awareness of IP rights early, in addition to creativity and technical skills. “Finding out how to solve a technical problem gives a wonderful feeling of success. Knowing that this allows you to create intellectual property and start a business offers true future prospects.”

The World Intellectual Property Organization has chosen “IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future” as this year’s theme of World Intellectual Property Day, which is celebrated every year on April 26th to raise public awareness of intellectual property and patents, utility models, trade marks and designs. “Intellectual property strengthens the competitiveness of companies and their resilience to crises,” emphasised the DPMA President, adding that “industries that have companies with many IP rights are particularly good creators of value and pay above-average salaries.” This year, WIPO recognises in particular young innovators on World Intellectual Property Day.

In Germany, too, the youth contribute to innovation. In competitions such as the Jugend forscht contest or the Artur Fischer Inventor’s Award (Artur Fischer Erfinderpreis), they present their inventions. And some developments even lead to patent applications with the DPMA. In the past ten years, according to a reasonable estimate, young people filed patents for approximately 70 inventions with the DPMA. Then, in some cases, young people are registered as inventors in patent applications of companies – for example, because they worked for these companies as apprentices. If patent law firms file the application, it is no longer possible to identify the inventors as minors from the filing documentation. Furthermore, we know that lower fees and quick registration make young people have their inventions protected under a utility model rather than a patent.

Rieke Hackbarth, from Schleswig-Holstein, was a young inventor. She won the national Jugend forscht competition in 2015. Now an adult, she holds a patent on a self-disinfecting stethoscope. We present Ms Hackbarth and other former Jugend forscht award winners here on our website.

The German Patent and Trade Mark Office

Inventiveness and creativity need effective protection. The DPMA is the German centre of expertise for all intellectual property rights – patents, utility models, trade marks and designs. As the largest national patent office in Europe and the fifth largest national patent office in the world, our office stands for the future of Germany as a country of inventors in a globalised economy. Its staff of just under 2,800 at three locations – Munich, Jena and Berlin – provide services to inventors and companies. They implement federal innovation strategies and develop the national, European and international IP systems further.

Last updated: 19 December 2024