In a world where the intangible assets of intellectual property are of increasing commercial significance, governments are looking to IP as the engine of economic growth. Governments are also asking how can we ensure that the IP system is fit for purpose and meeting its objectives? Knowing how to answer this question has never been more timely, given the Productivity Commission’s review of the IP system in Australia.

Pippa Hall will use economic theory and evidence to assess the relative costs and benefits of the IP ecosystem, and how this translates into evidence-based policy-making and law reform. She will share the UK’s experiences of reforming its IP regimes (copyright, patents, trade marks, designs), and help us to know what a good IP system looks like – and for whom it is good.