Art and intellectual property: Fighting piracy with art
Intellectual property infringement is a global problem, and both governments and businesses are looking for creative ways to raise awareness. One such initiative in Poland looks to engage the younger generation through the medium of art, both its creation and appreciation.
The 2008 Annual Art Competition for IPR protection, held this year under the slogan "Pick the real thing," wrapped up last week. The winners were recognized during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance last Tuesday and the following day all of the works submitted for the competition were exhibited at the Academy of Fine Arts.
"Piracy is a huge problem around the world and the Polish government - the Finance Ministry, especially - is doing a lot to combat it. They're aggressively educating customs officials and working with companies to teach them the difference between authentic and fake products," said Dorota Dšbrowska, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Poland. "We're reaching out to young people, bringing the topic to them."
Szymon Prandzioch received first prize in the category of poster art, while Anna Kazimierczak, Łukasz Buszko and Grzegorz Worpus-Budziejewski were recognized for distinction. Paweł Ry was also recognized for distinction for a multimedia project. First prize was accompanied by zł.7,500, while distinction brought zł.1,000.
"The inspiration was the simplest mental association with the United States. The figure in the poster is not just a cowboy, but also a sheriff. The Ž on his hat stands for this ideal [of intellectual property rights] and the bright colors are representative of the US," Prandzioch said. "The message is clear."
The competition was organized and conducted by the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw along with the Ministries of Finance and Culture and AmCham. Major sponsors included Baker & McKenzie Gruszczyński i Wspólnicy Kancelaria Prawna, Baxter Poland, Brand Nature Access, General Motors Poland, Levi Strauss Poland, McDonald's Polska and Philip Morris Polska Distribution.
