On 26th April 2017 we celebrate World IP Day. This day is an initiative of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) to learn about the role that intellectual property rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity. The theme of World IP Day 2017 is “Innovation: Improving Lives”.
Opportunities with intellectual property
Attention for the protection of IP nowadays may be of more importance than ever. Do not allow others to run off with your ideas or creations: consider possible adequate protection of your idea, invention or method, novel plant variety, names for your products or services, trademark, product shape, text, photo, design or other creation.
Make an inventory of possible objects of IP protection within your organisation which may be relevant for you. You will be surprised what hidden value is available in your organisation. And have you protected that adequately?
Active management and enforcement
Protection only is not all. It is just the start. You need to maintain and manage your IP rights actively and enforce your rights in case of possible infringement.
Proper contracts governing licenses issued to others or for exemple joint R&D and innovation projects. Also it would normally be advisable to allocate the rights and also e.g. domain names and the rights to your website in the right company separate from the risk bearing operations.
You may find that you can save costs for instance by withdrawing IP rights that are not or no longer relevant for your own company and you may even earn money by licensing out or selling off such IP rights to others.
Do you want to learn more about protection, enforcement/infringement, exploitation or cooperation?
Read more on our website on IP & innovation. Please do not hesitate to call or mail us.
Below you may find the address by WIPO Director General Francis Gurry on World IP Day 2017: “We’re celebrating innovation, the improvement of our lives, and we’re also celebrating all of those risk-takers, all of those who have dared change through innovation.”
http://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/ipday/2017/dg_message.html
