In the past few years, Indonesian people have made creative innovations that are acknowledged in the world. But, intellectual property right issue has yet to be considered by these inventors. As a matter of fact, understanding the legal aspect is very important to the product development in the future.
Vice-Rector of UGM for Cooperation and Alumni, Dr. Paripurna R. Sugarda, S.H., M.Hum., LL.M., said on Friday (24/2) at Faculty of Engineering UGM to students of Electrical and Informatics Engineering that Indonesian researchers had the weakness to soon publish their works and get invited to explain their research and get awarded, but delaying to apply for its patent. He said this would disadvantage the researcher because legal wise, the publication of unregistered findings will eliminate the confidential nature of the research, thus making it more difficult to get the intellectual property rights.
The students sit in for Selected Topics course on the theme of Legal Aspect of Business. The Vice-Rector said legal aspects became issues no less important for the students of engineering to learn.
“If you only learn the technical and engineering areas, you will turn into mediocre workers. I hope you can also think on a wider scope, in terms of politics, economy, or laws. Hence, you would become a great leader, and I’m convinced you all can do that,” said Paripurna.
The Selected Topics course is new to the curriculum of these Engineering students to equip them for work in the future. It is expected to open their insight so that they also know the global knowledge and other perspectives apart from engineering.
“When people built a startup business, for example, 90 percent of their energy is spent to do the technical aspect alone, while in fact the need to know the non-technical aspects, such as legal and business, is very big,” said Ahmad Yuniarto, former Chairman of Schlumberger Group Indonesia, who is member of Advisory Board for curriculum of Electrical and Informatics Engineering.
The course will further discuss issues such as digital economy, public policy perspective, and sustainable development. Ahman hoped that through this course, the Engineering graduates would make real contribution to the state.