The survey, conducted by research company Synovate for IP firm Zacco, found that 89% of companies said know-how capital is the most important asset to manage and protect, but only 39% said they have full control over this asset.

On the other hand, companies said they had most control over their domain names, although most did not consider domain names to be the most important IP rights.

The companies surveyed were asked questions including: how important are various IP rights for your company? How much control do you have over your IP rights? What are the reasons for using your IP rights? Are IP issues considered by the board?

The survey revealed big differences between industries, with respondents from the pharmaceutical sector claiming much more control over their intellectual property (including patents, brands and know-how) compared to those from the service industry.

Those in the service and manufacturing industries are particularly poor at protecting their intellectual property, according to the survey.

Another striking finding of the survey is that only 5% of companies monitor their competitors’ use of intellectual property.

The report also suggests there are differences between the three countries covered, with Sweden lagging behind the other two countries. While 29% of Norwegian companies, and 26% of Danish companies, say IP issues are discussed by the board of directors, the equivalent figure in Sweden is just 14%.