DECEMBER 2008 / JANUARY 2009
Smaller IP owners seek better management and returns
Managing Intellectual Property
Large businesses have grasped the need for IP management, but SMEs are only beginning to do so.
| One-minute read |
| Globalisation and the growth of a knowledge economy demand effective IP management in all businesses. Today, large multinationals increasingly see IP as a strategic asset, rather than merely a legal tool. Now SMEs are also seeing the need to better manage and exploit their IP assets. This involves not just administering the IP assets themselves, but also integrating IP into innovation strategies and business models by using both the legal and economic functions of intellectual property. IP management can be divided into three task clusters – innovation support, portfolio management and IP exploitation – which can be further divided into sub-tasks. In each of these, SMEs have different activities and expectations compared to multinationals, meaning that they require different means of support, and dedicated solutions. |
The need for IP management is a consequence of globalisation and the growth of the knowledge economy. Large-scale enterprises with worldwide operations have already adapted to changed realities and now small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) feel the need to capitalise on their IP assets. We describe the meaning of IP management for SMEs, identifying the specific service needs of such companies.
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