27 March 2009

Generate value through integrated IPR

Intellectual Property Rights should be embedded and integrated in the entire organization.

In today's knowledge-based society intellectual property rights constitute approximately 80 % of a company's assets. A mere 20 % is tied up in buildings and manufacturing equipment. In the industrial society the proportions were the opposite.

Involvement of central players within the company

The increasing focus on intellectual property means that companies can obtain an advan-tage by systematizing the work with intellectual property. By embedding the effort in central parts of the organization, companies can, through proactive handling, increase their reve-nues.

Intellectual assets and patents are intersectorial issues, and should ideally pervade the entire organization. Research and development-, manufacturing-, marketing- and sales de-partments should all be involved in the work with intellectual property.

Protecting knowledge

Traditionally, the role of patents has been to protect invented products. In a modern per-spective, patents and other intellectual assets are used to protect knowledge, and can even constitute independent objects of trade.

Only through a systematized handling embedded in the management and board, can an organization wide consciousness of- and involvement in IPR aspects be ensured.

Threats and opportunities

Intellectual property rights consist of even parts threats and opportunities. You can obtain rights - but so can your competitors. If you do not actively use IPR, and your competitors do, your scope of operating narrows significantly.

It is equally important to obtain patents and to know what others have patented, in order to avoid infringement of other's rights. For that reason, I recommend that my clients have a freedom-to-operate analysis carried out, in order to know whether or not the path is clear in terms of intellectual property rights.

By: Rasmus Gjesing, Head of Patent Department.