Innovation is much more than a slogan – it is the product of thinking outside the box, of challenging conventions. While the saying “the Jewish mind invents patents for us” reminds us of Uri Zohar’s 1962 song “Shir Hapatentim,” the reality in the field of intellectual property and patents presents a much more complex picture.
Only 16% of patent inventors worldwide in 2023 were women, according to data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Additionally, a new analysis in the field of copyright in the US shows that while the percentage of female authors registering copyrights for their work has increased, women still make up a smaller portion of registered authors compared to the percentage of women in related creative professions. The conclusion: there is a gender gap in the use of the copyright system.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, which is coming up on Saturday, it’s important to understand why and how to change this. The global economy cannot afford to ignore the innovation potential coming from half of the population.
Creative thinking and innovation that challenge the existing and the known are the central engines of economic growth today. Data shows that intangible assets supported by intellectual property, meaning registered patents, are currently responsible for 90% of all business value. Therefore, it is very important to engage communities that are underrepresented in the field of intellectual property and encourage potential rights holders to take advantage of the benefits offered by the intellectual property system.
Indeed, women are not sufficiently represented as inventors compared to their proportion in the global population. What can explain the low percentage of female inventors compared to men? Is there a difference in creativity between men and women or in their desire to search for and find solutions to the world’s problems?
THERE ARE numerous examples of creative women who, with their unique perspective, have opened doors to a new world of approaches and solutions that did not exist before. A relevant and important example is Kerry E. Benenato, the vice president of Moderna – the company that developed the COVID vaccine and changed the face of the disease that threatened the entire global population. Benenato is registered as an inventor on several of the company’s patents. She also developed the lipid system that wraps the mRNA Moderna uses in its vaccines. Kerry is listed as an inventor in the patents protecting the vaccine and the technology to produce it.
Other women who broke through include Marie Curie, who became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and who was the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in different scientific fields: Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911); Mary Anderson, the inventor of the car windshield wiper, which improved road safety in rainy or snowy conditions; Ada Lovelace, one of the first inventors in the field of computing, and many others.
Women make up half of the population
When they do not participate equally in economic activity, the global economy ultimately suffers. Including more women in the field of intellectual property will allow the world to benefit from the fruits of creative thinking and economic advancement.
This understanding led WIPO to launch an action plan that will help integrate more women into the field. This will be done through promoting investments, creating jobs, and encouraging economic growth with a gender perspective, benefiting women in particular and the community in general. The organization predicts that by relying on the current pace without active intervention, women will make up 50% of patent inventors worldwide only by 2061.
The action plan document cites a study focused on the significant economic potential that can be derived from improving gender equality in the workplace. The research found that countries have a significant opportunity to increase their Gross Domestic Product (by up to $12 trillion) by narrowing the gender gap.
Women around the world are driving change, changing lives through innovative and creative efforts, and shaping our shared future. The gender gap in intellectual property means that only part of women’s talents is being utilized, resulting in a loss of many opportunities for innovation, economic growth, and improving lives. As humanity needs to unite to face various challenges such as pandemics and the fight against climate change, the world cannot afford to lose the innovative potential of any group or community.
The writer is a senior patent attorney in the life sciences group at the Pearl Cohen law firm.