Online Consumer Awareness of Intellectual Property Rights

1. Online Consumer Awareness of
Intellectual Property Rights
Dr. Meenakshi Negi
Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce,
GGDSD College, Sector-32

2. Introduction
• The advent of knowledge economy places a tag of urgency on
understanding and managing knowledge based assets such as
innovations and know-how.
• Intellectual property is a form of knowledge which can be assigned
specific property rights. The rights granted to the creator of this
property are called intellectual property rights.
• It protects the rights of individuals and businesses who have
transformed their ideas into property by granting rights to the
owners of those properties for a limited period.

3. Introduction
• Its protection is necessary to provide incentives and financing for
innovation and creation, which in turn leads to economic, cultural
and social progress.
• Increasing use of internet has provided a distinct marketplace to the
business.
• It is required that people are made aware of intellectual properties.
Therefore, this paper measures level of awareness of internet users
with respect to intellectual property on internet.

4. Conceptual Framework of IPR
• Patents
• A patent is an exclusive right awarded to an inventor to prevent others
from making, selling, distributing, importing or using their invention,
without license or authorisation, for a fixed period of time.
• Copyright
• Copyright grants rights to the creators of original literary, scientific and
artistic works to reproduce dramatic, artistic, literary or musical work or
to authorise its reproduction by others.
• Trademarks
• Trademarks provide exclusive rights to use distinctive signs, such as
symbols, colours, letters, shapes or names to identify the producer of a
product, and protect its associated reputation.

5. Internet & Intellectual Property Rights
• The evolution and challenges of the digital environment are developing so
quickly and legal rules cannot keep apace with the new developments.
• The benefits of digitisation and online publication of material are enormous;
for institution itself, for students, researchers and for the interested public.
• If the legitimate interests of the institution and of the copyright holder are to
be protected, then it is essential that intellectual property protection is
taken into account from the very start of digitisation project.
• It is hard to deal with misuse of online material and contents
• One way to minimize it misuse is increasing awareness among user groups.

6. Research Objectives
• The primary research objective for this study is to measure the
awareness level of students with respect to online Intellectual
Property Rights.
• The secondary research objective of this study is to identify
relationship between education level and Intellectual Property
Awareness.

7. Research Methodology
Data and Sample
Sample
• 130 students including 50 Graduate level students, 50 students of master
degree, and 30 doctoral level students in commerce and management
discipline
• Graduate students - selected from PU colleges in Chandigarh
• Master degree students - selected from UBS, UIAMS, and UIHM
• Doctoral students - selected from UBS.
• Data collection
• Primary Data: Respondents survey through structured questionnaire
Tools
• For Descriptive Statistics: tables and diagrams
• For Analytical Statistics: Chi square test of dependence

8. Variables
• The questionnaire contained questions related to following aspects
of IPRs:
1. Awareness of concepts of IPR
2. Source of knowledge of IPR
3. Awareness of types of IPR
4. Understanding of IPR
5. Awareness of IPR infringement
6. Awareness of penalties for violating IPRs

9. Findings
• Level of Awareness: 62% respondents were unaware of the term IPR
• 62% respondents heard about IPR in college, 26% in school and
12% at University level.
• Source of Info: 42% respondents came to know about IPR through
books; 33% through social interaction; 25% through news.
• Awareness of types of IPRs: 35% respondents had low understanding,
33% had medium and 32% had high awareness

10. Findings
• Understanding of IPRs: only 10% of respondents knew the meanings
of types of IPRs. A whopping 53% of respondents could not distinguish
between types of IPRs.
• Awareness of Online Infringement: 59% students were aware that it
leads to infringement of IPRs
• Awareness of Punishment: 62% respondents were aware that
infringement of IPRs is a punishable offence

11. Findings of Chi square test of dependence
Significant association was noted between students’ education level
and their awareness level of IPR
• Doctoral level students came across IPRs at college and university,
graduation and post graduate level students came across IPR at
college level only.
• Book is source of IPR info for most doctoral students. Master and
college level students receive information through social interaction.

12. Findings of Chi square test of dependence
Variable Category
Education Level
Total Chi sq. p value
Doctoral Graduation
Post
Graduation
When did you come
across the term IPR?
College 11 13 26 50 27.825 .000*
School 4 9 8 21
University 10 0 0 10
Total 25 22 34 81
How did you come to
know about IPR?
Books 14 13 7 34 15.687 .003*
News 4 7 9 20
Social Interaction 7 2 18 27
Total 25 22 34 81
What are the types of
IPRs?
High 17 4 5 26 30.060 .000*
Low 2 14 12 28
Medium 6 4 17 27
Total 25 22 34 81
What is the meaning of
three types of IPRs?
High 5 0 3 8 27.770 .000*
Low 3 14 26 43
Medium 17 8 5 30
Total 25 22 34 81
Do you know
downloading from
internet may lead to
infringement of IPRs?
No 2 11 20 33 16.486 .000*
Yes 23 11 14 48
Total 25 22 34 81
Do you know
Infringement of IPRs is
a punishable offence?
No 5 13 13 31 7.569 .023*
Yes 20 9 21 50
Total 25 22 34 81

13. Findings of Chi square test of dependence
• Doctoral students have a highest understanding and knowledge of IPR
issues
• Doctoral students have a medium understanding and rest of the
categories have a low level of understanding of types of IPRs.
• Knowledge of IPR infringement and offence is highest for doctoral
students

14. Conclusion
• It is highly desirable that students are made aware of the issues related to IPR
which have assumed immense importance in the competitive global markets.
• Government has the onus of raising the level of awareness about IPRs.
• Starting with the student community is the most effective means to that end.
• Degree course at graduate and post graduate courses should include a
mandatory subject on IPRs.
• Academicians have a great role to play by educating the students about the
intentional and unintentional IPR infringement and their implications.

15. Thank You
Dr. Meenakshi Negi
Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce,
GGDSD College, Sector-32