Of all the forms of Intellectual Property (IP), copyright tends to be the one perceived as the most complex, likely the most abused or just plain ignored. Yet it is arguably the most pervasive with applications at work and at home.

It is this very pervasiveness that makes proper copyright management essential in all ministries, departments and agencies. Copyright problems don’t just occur in the education sector.

Many Singapore organisations deal with IP only as and when the need arises. Unfortunately this often means that the potential value of their IP assets is not maximized and organisations run the risk of misusing the IP assets of other organisations.

For public sector organisations such oversight may have long term impact for both the organisation and its many stakeholders – the public, industry groups, and collaborators. This can be further complicated by the public sector’s evolving role in national & industry development, and in providing outsourcing, contract and consultancy services locally and overseas.

There are many ways in which government IP assets may be utilised for the benefit of an agency or the public. Assets may be sold, licensed out for royalties, licensed in from 3rd parties, used internally for greater efficiency, shared for public good, used for industry development etc.

In this course, participants will also be introduced to the different ways businesses have used IP assets and how these may be applied to Government assets. Assessment and determining factors in deciding on type and form of exploitation mechanisms will be discussed. Participants will also be exposed to how Technology Transfer Agreements and Copyright Licenses are typically structured, common pitfalls to avoid and policy issues that the Public Sector should consider.