Case Examples That Make Learning Real
Not all delegates participating in the working sessions at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have as much specialized education or professional experience as some of their peers. Periodically, representatives from some of the world's poorest countries meet up in Geneva with their counterparts from wealthier countries to debate matters of intellectual property rights—patents, copyrights, and trademarks—and hopefully come to a consensus on how those matters should be handled on a global level. But some delegates from countries lacking the strong legal infrastructure of places like Germany, Australia, or Japan arrive with a steep learning curve ahead of them.
There's a lot of misinformation floating around WIPO's headquarters when the world comes to visit. Like any other United Nations agency, there are also many political agendas being pushed. Mike Ryan, a client and former director of the Creative and Innovative Economy Center at the George Washington University School of Law, and I hosted a series of informational luncheons to help explain how intellectual property can help developing economies grow. Our programming was desperately needed. We had our adversaries, a few nonprofit organizations working hard to convince developing country representatives that intellectual property rights are the tool of the industrialized world meant to keep poor countries poor.
Ryan and I believe if a country wants to develop a modern idea-based economy, they must develop the infrastructure to protect creators and innovators. Patents, copyrights, and trademarks are necessary tools to prevent the creative class from being ripped off. It's difficult for a runaway pirate economy to gain an economical foothold if bootleg goods dominate the market. But explaining the benefits of intellectual property to some WIPO delegates is a communication challenge. Our adversaries do a great job convincing them we're nothing but evil capitalists.
In WIPO working sessions, the delegates are buried deep in the details of intellectual property law. Our plan was to break them out of the minutiae for an hour and a half and offer them a higher-level view of the subject. Our strategy necessitated making the benefits of intellectual property come to life. We wanted to humanize this otherwise boring discussion about law and economics. To help us explain the crippling effects of piracy and theft, we invited creators and innovators from emerging growth countries to tell their stories. If the delegates could meet people who've been stifled creatively because of intellectual property crime, went our theory, they may come to appreciate our point of view. It was important that we featured talent from developing nations so the delegates could better relate to their experiences.
For one event, we invited Bobby Bedi, a filmmaker from Mumbai, to talk about how bootleg DVDs of his films have impacted him negatively. Bedi's Bandit Queen won critical acclaim at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, yet despite the accolades, he says making movies in India's Bollywood is still a struggle. Illegal copying of DVDs in India is a big problem. Pirates sell 90 percent of all videos bought in India.14 A 2009 report produced by Ernst & Young India for the United States-India Business Council (USIBC) estimated that movie piracy and theft are so bad on the subcontinent that 80,000 jobs are lost.15 Producers like Bedi produce relatively inexpensive escapist entertainment or subsidized art-house work16 because their films aren't financially successful. How can a filmmaker turn a profit in this environment? Who would want to invest in such a project?
Bedi and other Indian film producers are pressing Indian central and local governments to commit to fundamental reform of anti-piracy efforts by calling for establishment of an independent enforcement body. Anti-piracy efforts in India have tended to be localized and sporadic, say Indian film producers and distributors.
We thought Bedi's story would resonate with our audience. Burgeoning film industries are trying to emerge around the world, but they're often sidelined because intellectual property theft prevents them from making profits. Nigeria's film community “Nollywood,” for example, is vibrant, but is stuck because their piracy rate rivals India's. Bedi struck an emotional chord with the audience and warmed the stage for Mike Ryan to deliver his bigger picture discussion about intellectual property rights.
By presenting a case about a real person sharing his real struggles, we were able to reach our audience. We could see the delegates listening carefully to Bedi's story. Later, we discussed with them what they learned and its impact on their lives and role as influencers of the world's intellectual property system. We were pleased to learn that we opened the door, maybe just a crack, but enough to turn on a few lights.
I call this variation of storytelling a case example. You may be familiar with business cases or case studies used by business schools or companies. Case studies are a favorite among educators because they simulate the real world. They sharpen analytical skills, but also condition learners to think like people in the example.17
The case studies you're likely to work with at the graduate school level are often well-developed pedagogical learning tools. Harvard case studies, for example, are filled with extensive, well-researched content and can take years to produce. My version of case examples is far less detailed and more relaxed. I borrow from the case study format a few key principles that fit my specific needs.
Tips for Using Case Studies
- CASE EXAMPLES ADDRESS PROBLEMS. Case studies used in academia and in books focus on real problems. That's what makes them powerful learning tools. Choose a “true to life” problem that resonates with your audience. Make it real and make it honest. Make the problem the focus of your communication effort. All content should ultimately contribute to trying to solve the problem.18
- CASE EXAMPLES THRIVE ON DRAMA. Take advantage of the storytelling technique. Engage your audience in a narrative that will capture their attention with real or fictional characters.
- CASE EXAMPLES ENCOURAGE PRACTICAL THINKING. Present your audience with facts and encourage them to apply those principles to new learning situations.19 A good case transcends the example you're providing and elevates learning.
Case examples share similarities with testimonials, but unlike testimonials, there isn't any kind of commercial relationship. The people who spoke about wanting their pets cloned on behalf of GS&C were customers. They wanted cloning to advance to a point where they could have their pets cloned. All honest people—none were paid for their endorsement—they became great spokespeople for us because of their genuine interest in our cause. Case examples, however, are stories with no commercial interest. We're not looking for anyone's testimony to enhance our credibility or sell a product.