FICPI's role in the future

FICPI's role in the 21st century cannot be overestimated.

The changes in intellectual property systems will be rapid and their impact on the profession as a whole challenging:

• increased demand for efficient global protection of patents and trademarks,
• advanced innovations will challenge conventional forms of IP protection,
• effects on the profession by the emergence of intelligent software and the rapid growth of the information technology,
• possible prospect of a single centralised patent office,
• registration methodology may be radically modified,
• need for protection of standards in a swiftly growing profession,

In 1998, FICPI's Bureau undertook a strategic planning session at the Executive Committee meeting in Broome (see Report on : The Future of the Intellectual Property System - Year 2030), and perhaps the most surprising outcome was the overwhelming optimism of the profession as a whole, despite serious concerns over current and envisaged future developments.

There was a clear concensus that the IP profession would continue, would grow more important to its clients and would retain a central role in providing advice and protection for its clients.

We firmly believe that FICPI is ideally placed to play a major role in the evolvement of better defined worldwide laws and to guide the profession through the changes.

For more information on perceived developments of the patent system in year 2020,
see AIPLA report, March 1998