Chongqing - Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications (CQUPT) recently hosted the first stop of the 2023 Copyright Service Grassroots Campaign, which aimed to provide copyright consultation to the public and raise awareness of copyright issues. During the event, young student representatives from CQUPT called for respect for originality and copyright protection.

In recent years, China has been strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights in different fields. According to the Global Innovation Index 2022 Report by the World Intellectual Property Organization, China has been ranked 11th globally. 

As the world celebrates World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 every year, CQUPT and the Chongqing Copyright Protection Centre are taking steps to promote copyright protection and innovation.

During the event, a student asked Guo Liang, a member of the expert pool and head of the Intellectual Property Department at CQUPT, about the ownership of AI-generated works such as essays and business plans provided by ChatGPT. 

Guo explained that the technological advancement of digitization would inevitably trigger innovation in the copyright system. There are two voices on whether the AI deep learning results represented by ChatGPT are infringing. One believes that ChatGPT generates works without the author's consent, while the other is that ChatGPT is a machine, and there is no copyright for that.

The expert pool also met face-to-face with students and teachers on the "digitalization of copyright in Chongqing," including cultivating copyright talents and sharing digital copyright infringement cases.

Since 2020, Chongqing has been organizing annual grassroots copyright service activities, including registration of works, legal consultation, education and training, and copyright trading. This year's campaign highlights the importance of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in fostering an innovative environment.

This is particularly relevant for universities, hubs of innovation and research. By promoting IPR protection, universities can encourage their students and researchers to be more innovative while ensuring that their labor's fruits are protected. As key players in developing technology and innovation ecosystems, universities can also help create an environment that fosters collaboration, encourages innovation, and attracts investment by nurturing IPRs.

In addition to organizing campaigns and training programs, many universities have established offices and centers dedicated to IPR protection and commercialization. 

These centers provide various services, from patent filing to licensing, to help researchers and inventors bring their ideas to market.