Creative Economy and IP: Supporting Creative Businesses and MSMEs

The United Nations resolution 74/198 on International Year on Creative Economy for Sustainable Development 2021, adopted in December 2019, encourages all parties to acknowledge the potential contribution of creative economy sectors to the achievement of sustainable development goals. 2021 marks the right moment for all stakeholders, including governments, private sectors, civil society, international organizations, academics, and cultural and creative entities to work together, exchange knowledge and experiences, build networks, and scale up collaboration.

The creative industries or the creative economy sectors are among the most dynamic sectors in the world economy regarded as an emerging high-growth area. Creative industries create jobs, economic contributions, value addition, and help countries establish a stronger national identity. Furthermore, creative economy sectors leverage knowledge and information, which in turn triggers innovation, creating social and economic wealth for society and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Creative economy grows and thrives as a liaison among culture, economy, and technology. Its ecosystem consists of many different industries, sectors, and stakeholders, covering a wide spectrum of economic sectors, from traditional cultural and craft industries that are dominated by MSMEs to new businesses in the digital era.

A growing number of studies have demonstrated the impressive contribution of creative enterprises to economic growth, jobs, and wealth creation. The creative economy sector is professionally involved in the creation, production, and distribution of creative goods and services and they often rely on various forms of intellectual property (IP) to boost their competitiveness in a crowded market, especially for the MSMEs.

In contrast to other economic sectors, which often involved a variety of entry barriers, creative industries can provide equal opportunities, a level playing field for all peoples of all nations. Emerging technologies have made that more promising, enabling talents from all around the world to work together. Certainly, one of the most pressing challenges is how to promote the role of intellectual property in the development of creative economy sectors for sustained socio-economic development.

OBJECTIVE

Within this background, and on the occasion of the "International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development 2021" the objective of this Panel Discussion on " Creative Economy and IP: Supporting Creative Businesses and MSMEs" is to provide a platform for the exchange of perspectives on the role and relevance of the IP system as a means of harnessing the sector's economic potential and its sustained growth. The discussions and exchange of perspectives could address a wide variety of questions, inter alia:

• What policies, initiatives, and strategies are relevant to support the creative economy sectors from traditional cultural and craft industries by MSMEs?
• How can IP help finance, commercialize, and sustain the creative businesses and MSMEs?
• How can IP policy ensure creative industries development and management?