economy

A symposium in the field of intellectual property was held at the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang on April 23 on the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day.

Attending the symposium which was aimed at raising public awareness of intellectual property and practical ability were officials and workers of ministries and national agencies, including the Ministry of Culture, the Central Industrial Design Bureau and the Publication Guidance Bureau.

Speakers referred to the geographical mark, national heritage and traditional knowledge, new species of plants, concept and characteristics of genetic resources, the necessity and significance of protecting intellectual property, protection system and the trend in different countries.

Thanks to the wise leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government, the law on the place of origin and geographical identification, the law on the protection of national heritage and the law on the protection of new strains of plants were adopted, providing a legal framework for vigorously conducting intellectual property work throughout the society and on an all-people basis and making progress in this work under the unified guidance of the state, they said.

They explained the practical issues arising in making the most rational use of the natural and geographical conditions in the relevant regions and in positively developing, protecting and utilizing special products to usher in a new era of regional rejuvenation.

The speakers stressed the need to steadily develop intellectual property work on a more scientific basis and thus make a substantial contribution to developing the country's economy and improving the people's standards of living.