In Pakistan's push toward a knowledge economy, universities must evolve from nurturing raw talent to safeguarding innovation. As a faculty member at a public-sector university where I have been teaching advanced courses for the last couple of decades, I've seen the urgent need to equip our brightest minds not only with scientific expertise but also with a solid grasp of Intellectual Property (IP) principles. In today's interconnected, competitive world, IP is an essential toolkit for every innovator, entrepreneur and researcher.

At its core, IP refers to the legal rights that protect creations born of human ingenuity. From the blueprint of a novel solar cell to the software that analyses medical-imaging data, IP rights ensure that inventors and creators maintain ownership of their work. These rights fall into several broad categories: copyrights, which safeguard literary and artistic expressions; trademarks, which distinguish brands through names and logos; design rights, which preserve the unique........

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