National Intellectual Property Month 

April is National Intellectual Property Month, a time when we rejoice human creativity through highlighting the importance and value of every individual that plays a special role in the development of our society. This 2025’s campaign theme, provided by The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is “IP and Music: Feel the Beat of IP” diving into the relationship between music and Intellectual Property. Sounds are everywhere, and through arranging these frequencies into certain patterns and sequences, one gives birth to music—music creation is hard to say the least, and it requires creative minds to generate sonically agreeable outputs.

However, without the protection provided by Intellectual Property Systems flourishing in the field of music becomes a relentless uphill battle especially in contemporary times where artists are ever-competitive—Bicol University with its vibrant scene of musicians, is no exception to this threat. To help these talented individuals thrive in both the worlds of business and academe the Intellectual Property Management Division (IPMD) devised a month-long capability building workshop that talks about the ins and outs of Intellectual Property Systems as we believe that the looming, but avoidable risks of leaving one’s IPs unprotected stems from the lack of knowledge on all things IP.

It is essential that creators are at least knowledgeable on the basics of IP, this evades the problem of creative works not being utilized which can turn into a waste of time, money, and effort for our change makers. With assurance that IP provides, and the know-how instilled among creative minds, these inventors would be encouraged to create, innovate, and invent more Intellectual Properties that could lead to the improvement of society, without the fear of losing their rights to their creations. 

With these threats and issues being present in our university, a need to provide Intellectual Property Awareness seminars for everyone in the university is undoubtedly essential, hence, the IPMD shall be the ones to facilitate these symposiums, to be recognized as “IP AWARE BU (Intellectual Property Advance, Well-informed, And Responsible Entities of Bicol University)” along with the IP Month Celebration 2025.  The Intellectual Property Management Division will be going on a campaign around 12 technology-producing colleges within the university, with IP experts Prof. Zaira G. Bataller, Prof. Christian L. Baiño, and Dr. Nicanor B. Balbin who will be dispensing their wisdom onto the program’s participants through lectures and hands-on activities that will aid in their navigation through IP systems, knowing one’s intellectual property rights, and application for patenting their creative works.