2021 Francis Gurry Lecture on Intellectual Property - 20.10.2021

Event details

On 13 October 2021 the Melbourne Law School presented the online public lecture  ‘The Future of Intellectual Property and WIPO in a Time of Crisis and Opportunity’.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged at a time when multilateralism is under unprecedented stresses and tensions. At the same time, the pandemic has transformed the ways in which we live and work – accelerating pre-existing trends towards digitalization, and opening up further opportunities for the use of innovation and creativity to drive growth.

In this address, Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), reflected on the ways in which WIPO and the global intellectual property ecosystem can respond to these developments and the challenges they bring.

The address was followed by an interactive discussion with Mr Tang, hosted by Professor Andrew Christie, Melbourne Law School, and Ms Janelle Borham, President of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia.

Francis Gurry Lecture on Intellectual Property

The Francis Gurry Lecture on Intellectual Property was established by the Melbourne Law School, in conjunction with the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia, in 2009. The Lecture is named in honour of the Law School’s distinguished alumnus, Dr Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (2008-2020).

The Francis Gurry Lecture series has been generously supported by AIPPI Australia, IP Australia, IPSANZ and LESANZ.