Summary
How might IP Australia best meet its purpose of ensuring Australian’s benefit from great ideas? Does the IP system always, in fact, result in benefits, and could those benefits be more explicit? What if the IP system could explicitly support both social and economic goals?
In 2023, IP Australia, through its innovation lab IPAVentures, embarked on an exploratory journey to investigate these issues. “IP for Social Good” is a look at how the IP system might address economic and social aims simultaneously, while keeping with the fundamental principle of technological neutrality.
Our goal is to stimulate discussion about the appropriate role of IP Australia and the broader IP system in promoting both social and economic good. This work does not represent government policy or reflect any intention. Instead, it is an attempt to expand the discussion of how – or if – IP Australia and the IP system could play a more active role in achieving societal, as well as economic, aims.
This document provides a summary of some of the key findings of this discovery piece of work.
We invite stakeholders to consider how we can leverage IP to tackle complex societal challenges while continuing to drive innovation and economic growth.
We welcome any reactions and reflections at mdb-ipaventures@ipaustralia.gov.au