Mr. John Kortbaoui, Coordinator of FAAD, invited Mr. Jean Akl, Intellectual Property Attorney in Law, to address NDU-SC Graphic Design and Advertising and Marketing students in particular - and the student body at large, on Friday, October 30, 2009 . Mr. Akl highlighted the importance of having the necessary information about Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) to insure that the students’ future creations are protected and, more importantly, to make sure that none of them will be subject to infringement lawsuits for a violation of others’ IPRs. Intellectual Property is the field of law that protects intellectual copyright; therefore, what IP deals with are issues in the creative process of advertising, for example, from protecting the exclusive rights of the creations to making sure that there are no risks of violating the IP rights of others in case they create or use advertising content in traditional or internet-based ways. Employees who are responsible for creative promotional material, freelance advertising agents, marketing consultants, graphic designers, and photographers will have to face decisions concerning IPRs as well. Mr. Akl explained the types of IPRs involved in the design and advertising fields which are: Copyright, Trademarks, Industrial Designs, Domain Names and Patents, and Unfair Advertising Methods. He gave examples of how each protects the creative content of the designer and how to register for each. He concluded that since advertising and design both depend upon, and celebrate, creativity; moreover, since the advances in technology and the use of the internet are widespread and prevalent in these fields, the need for extensive knowledge of issues concerning IPRs has become greater. “Today, it is impossible to be a successful advertiser, or run a successful advertising agency, without understanding the legal framework surrounding the business of advertising and graphic design,” says Akl.