University Hosts Intellectual Property Workshop

An international workshop on intellectual property was held at the University of Tehran’s Science and Technology Park earlier this week with local and international experts in attendance.

The event, which concluded on October 26, hosted speeches on the importance of intellectual property in different areas such as setting up a company, assessing technologies and estimating prices, IRNA reported.

Representatives from Belgium, Turkey and Tajikistan took part and shared their experience on issues related to IP.  

Other areas of focus included the role of technology parks in boosting universities and promoting entrepreneurship.

“Being unfamiliar with intellectual property poses a risk for knowledge-based firms,” said the head of Iran’s Intellectual Property Center, Mohammad Hassan Kiani.

Iran’s Intellectual Property Center is affiliated with the State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties and provides a range of services, namely drafting copyright regulations that comply with international standards and international brand registration services.

The official stated that the primary assets of any knowledge-based firm are their intellectual properties, including technologies, technical knowledge, processes, tools and systems used in crafting products and delivering services.

“To enhance their activities, knowledge-based firms must pay more attention to developing their management of intellectual properties alongside office management,” he said.

Kiani warned that intellectual property is prone to theft, hence the threat must be averted and transformed into opportunities. He also noted that the innovations and inventions drawn up in the current business scene are what account for the success of small, medium and large enterprises.

“Developing ideas into products and innovative companies will generate revenues. All this can happen if the ideas are developed and products are industrialized,” he said.

Kiani said patenting inventions, brands and industrial plans would allow owners sole ownership.

“This will pave the way for their steady presence in the market and enable them to have the upper hand when they want to sell their licensed inventions,” he said.

The IP expert pointed to the latest services delivered by the center, such as the development of industrial registration services as well as the establishment of a database for industrial properties and another for inventions.

“The databases play a useful role in preventing data leaks while providing the needed information to relevant organizations such as enterprises, research institutes and universities,” he said.

Iran has a poor record of protecting copyrights of creators and owners, with flagrant violations being a norm. The country only launched procedures to sign up to international copyright treaties after the administration of President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013.