Intellectual property protection is an essential pillar of being competitive in the Hungarian and international markets, without it all creations and designs are exposed to the risk of copying or theft. Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) and the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (SZTNH) start a cooperation in order to strengthen the students’ conscious intellectual property management and shape a related mindset. The goal of the cooperation agreement is to encourage students to think responsibly on intellectual property and to make them understand that, by obtaining appropriate protection for their creations and innovations, they will strengthen their own career prospects and the national economy as well.

Following the University of Miskolc and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design is the next higher education institution with whom the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office concluded a cooperation agreement. The goal again is to allow students to handle the intellectual property they create with more awareness and to teach them how to use it. The leadership of MOME is well aware that the knowledge that the students acquire will be of large importance on the international market, moreover that obtaining protection on university level will provide further sources for the universities as well.

Under this agreement, HIPO will contribute to the teaching of intellectual property protection (among other things in the framework of an optional subject), to the development of professional methodologies, to raising awareness of intellectual property among students, teachers, researchers and other staff of the university, and to supporting the university’s creative industry activities, while MOME will be involved in the visual communication of the 125-year-old institution. Besides, the parties will jointly participate in the execution of publication and conference projects in order to strengthen the Hungarian innovation potential as well as to improve the standards of research & development and technology management.

‘The Hungarian people are a creative people, and for MOME intellectual property protection is particularly important as students can participate in the creation of various products and services during their studies or later in their businesses, so it is in their fundamental interest to recognise the benefits of product design protection or those provided by trademarks’ - emphasised Gyula Pomázi, President of the HIPO, in connection with the agreement. He added: ‘It is a well-proven model with universities abroad that patents acquired and leveraged on institutional level generate further revenues for the universities. We are happy to conclude a cooperation with an institute like MOME, where the management has recognised the potentials hidden in this.’

‘We are working on the creation of a university brand that meet international standards. To this end, we need a brave and innovative approach to intellectual property management as well, which encourages, protects and exploits the new knowledge acquired at the university. The professional assistance of HIPO is a support and guarantee for this’ – announced Gergely Böszörményi-Nagy, President of MOME Foundation.

‘The agreement, based on our long-standing strong and excellent professional relationship with HIPO, further strengthens the intellectual property awareness of MOME’s students, teachers, research and staff community, for which there is increasing demand in relation to the university’s activities. MOME has a great opportunity to celebrate the 125th anniversary of HIPO, in the framework of which we will contribute to the renewal of the visual communication of the office through research and design activities’ - said József Fülöp, Rector of MOME.

HIPO’s plans include the conclusion of similar agreements with further higher education institutes in order to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property protection among more and more students and teachers.