Kota Kinabalu: School involvement in intellectual property (IP) protection remains low despite showing gradual improvement over time, said Chairman of the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO), Riduan Rubin.
He said a total of 346 copyright notifications have been recorded through the Voluntary Copyright Notification (CVN) system involving schools nationwide, reflecting growing awareness among students and teachers on the need to protect creative works.
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“For Sabah, a total of 34 CVN notifications have been filed since 2023. However, applications for other IP components remain low, with only one trademark and seven patents recorded,” he said.
He was speaking after officiating the IP Talk – Game On: Create Protect Own programme held in conjunction with National Intellectual Property Day 2026 at Sekolah Sukan Malaysia Sabah here, recently.
Riduan, who is also Tenom MP said while creative activity among students is increasing, efforts to protect innovations with commercial potential have yet to be fully utilised.
At the national level, applications involving schools for other IP categories remain limited, with 12 trademark applications, nine patents and six industrial design filings recorded.
“Although students are actively producing creative works, protection for innovations and creations with commercial potential has not been given sufficient emphasis.
“These statistics send a clear message — students have ideas and creativity, but efforts to protect and leverage these ideas as valuable assets need to be strengthened,” he said.
Riduan added that data from states involved in the programme shows strong potential among students, but the utilisation of IP protection mechanisms can still be improved.
Meanwhile, he said MyIPO remains committed to expanding IP awareness across all levels of society, stressing the importance of nurturing a generation that is not only creative but also understands the value of protecting their creations.
“We want to produce a generation that is not just consumers of ideas, but creators and owners of their own innovations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Riduan said IP registrations among locals have shown an upward trend, but still lag behind applications filed by foreign parties.
“Local registrations are increasing, but the gap with foreign applicants remains significant, and they are still ahead in protecting their intellectual property,” he said.
He added that the situation is partly due to low awareness among entrepreneurs and the general public on the importance of IP protection, particularly for commercial purposes.
As such, he stressed that continuous efforts must be intensified through education and awareness programmes, including targeting students and athletes as future innovators.
“Early exposure is important to ensure the younger generation understands that their ideas and creativity have value and must be protected,” he said.
Riduan added that MyIPO will continue to expand IP awareness efforts to nurture a generation that is not only creative but also capable of owning and protecting their innovations.
