WIPO SMEs Newsletter October 2012
By the SMEs Section of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO
WIPO SMEs Newsletter is a monthly e-publication providing readers with useful intellectual
property (IP) information contained in articles, case studies, forthcoming IP/SMEs relevant events,
and published presentations featured on our web site. We hope you will find it useful and
informative. We encourage you to share the newsletter or items of interest with friends and
colleagues. For past issues and information on the activities of the SMEs Section, please
visit
http://www.wipo.int/sme.
News
WIPO Assemblies Agree Roadmaps for New International Instruments
The 50
th session of
Assemblies of WIPO member
states reached a breakthrough decision on how to complete negotiations on a pact to improve
access to copyrighted works for the many visually impaired or print disabled people around the
world.
Member states also agreed a work program for the
WIPO Intergovernmental Committee
on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) for
2013. The IGC will continue intensive negotiations to ensure effective protection of genetic
resources (GRs), traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions/expressions of
folklore (TCEs).
In another significant decision, WIPO’s 185 member states agreed to expedite work towards a
design law treaty to develop simplified standards for industrial design registration
procedures.
The WIPO Assemblies, which met from October 1-9, 2012, took stock of the Organization’s
substantive work over the last year, and provided direction for the future work program. At the
closing of the Assemblies, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry welcomed the “extremely constructive
engagement of member states” in the work of the Organization as demonstrated in the decisions taken
by the Assemblies. He underlined the progress made by member states in setting timetables for
concluding negotiations on international instruments on access to copyrighted work by the visually
impaired, design law and intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and
folklore.
Read
More
In Good Company, Managing Intellectual Property Issues in Franchising
WIPO has just published a new guide “
In Good Company,
Managing Intellectual Property Issues in Franchising”. This publication is available for
free download from our website. Print copies may be ordered from the WIPO
bookshop.
At the heart of franchising is the licensing of intellectual property in conjunction with a
proven business model. Given that franchising is one of the fastest and most popular
means of business expansion, this publication is a timely and useful complement to WIPO’s existing
line of publications designed to increase understanding of how the intellectual property system is
integral to business competitiveness.
The guide takes the reader through the various phases of the franchise process: preparation;
the franchise agreement; the management of a franchise, and, finally, the termination of a
franchise agreement.The importance of managing the intellectual property assets of a franchise is a
core theme permeating the entire publication; in particular the guide emphasizes the importance of
the brand and the various intellectual property rights that underscore, nurture and strengthen a
brand.
As with its sister publications, we encourage users to translate this publication into local
languages and/or adapt it to national laws and regulations, and illustrate it with national
examples and case studies. Translations into other UN languages are presently underway and
will be available as soon as they are ready.
Resources on IP Asset Management
IP PANORAMA TM Multimedia Toolkit
The IP PANORAMA ™ multimedia toolkit is now available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic,
Hungarian, Vietnamese and Thai versions on or through the pages at
http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/multimedia/ and
http://www.ippanorama.com/.
CD-ROMs of the English, Arabic, French and Spanish versions are also available on
request. Anyone interested in receiving a free copy of the CD-ROM may email
sme@wipo.int providing the full postal address, including
telephone number, and indicating the purpose for which the CD-ROM would be used.
Please note that requests without complete postal address will not be processed.
LINKS
Korea: Shifting SME policies towards competitiveness and growth
This
case study, which was initially published as part of a comprehensive INNO-Grips Policy Brief “
Policies in Support of High-Growth Innovative SMEs” (2011), reviews the SME policies of Korea,
focusing on the policies of promoting innovation in high-growth SMEs. These policies are related to
the policy set for the innovative SMEs including ventures and start-ups, and the policy set for
promotion of global stars.
New voucher scheme to stimulate SME innovation
Small United Kingdom businesses will be able to obtain Government funding to help them develop
and grow with the launch in September 2012 of a new and easily accessible Innovation Voucher
scheme.
Read
more about how the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board will enable start-up,
micro, small and medium-sized businesses to access up to £5,000 worth of advice and expertise from
universities, research organisations or other private sector knowledge suppliers.
Handmade in Thailand: building brands for local communities
In 2010, WIPO, in collaboration with the Thai government and King Mongkut University of
Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), began supporting three rural communities in using the intellectual
property (IP) system to boost the commercial value and viability of their artisanal products.
Read more about how
this initiative is supporting local micro and small businesses grow and develop through IP and
branding.
United Kingdom to Speed Up IP Dispute Resolution for SMEs
The UK's Patents County Court (PCC) is to offer a new small claims track service to speed up
the court process and reduce costs for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Read
more
Patent Boxes: Innovation in Tax Policy and Tax Policy for Innovation
A number of countries recently have adopted or expanded R&D tax incentives as well as
developed new tax incentives to spur the commercialization of that R&D. These incentives or “
patent boxes” (so-called because there is a box to tick on the tax form) allow corporate income
from the sale of patented products to be taxed at a lower rate than other income. Eight nations
(seven in Europe) have enacted patent box regimes that incentivize firms to patent or produce other
related innovations. And a ninth, the UK, is set to put in place the incentive in 2013.
Read more.
Building Awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for MSME in India
The Government of India has been very proactive in enhancing the competitiveness of the micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). IP awareness and capacity building is a key component of the
strategy. This
PowerPoint
presentation gives an overview of some of the measures taken by the Government of India in the
field of IP for MSMEs, including the setting up of several IP facilitation Centres (IPFCs) across
the country.
6 Strategies for Managing Patent Translation and Filing Costs
Translations can account for up to 50% of the cost of national stage entry, so cost-cutting
strategies could make a significant difference in the bottom line.
This
article provides how to engage cost cutting strategies without compromising one’s patent
project.
Madrid Highlights
The
Madrid Highlights is a quarterly
publication focusing on keeping Madrid system’s stakeholders up to date with the latest
developments within the Madrid system and providing information on the activities of the Sector.
The Madrid Highlights also offers to subscribers the opportunity to raise issues and concerns and
to seek responses from experts. Contributions and content in the Madrid Highlights are published in
the English language only.
WIPO Seminar Series on “The Economics of Intellectual Property
The WIPO Seminar Series on the Economics of Intellectual Property features economists from
around the world, presenting their latest research to a policy-oriented audience. It seeks to
stimulate an informed discourse on the effects of IP policies on economic performance. Videos
of the seminars and relevant background material are available on
this webpage.
Forthcoming Events
The Role of Intellectual Property System in Enhancing the Competitiveness of Business and Industries, December 3 and 4, 2012 (Nassau, Bahamas
Effective Intellectual Property Management by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, December 6 and 7, 2012 (Bridgetown, Barbados)
Workshop on the Role of IP in Enhancing the Competitiveness of SMEs, January 28 and 29, 2013 (Beirut, Lebanon)
6th Conference on Micro Evidence on Innovation in Developing Economies (MEIDE), Cape Town, South Africa, November 21-23, 2012
The aim of the conference, jointly organized by the OECD-IHERD (Innovation, Higher Education and Research for Development) Program and CeSTII (Center for Science, Technology & Innovation Indicators) of the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa,is to bring together researchers from around the world to discuss the importance of innovation for economic growth and development.
Further information is available at
http://www.merit.unu.edu/MEIDE/
Patent Statistics for Decision Makers 2012, November 28-29. 2012 (Paris)
The conference is organized by the European Patent Office and the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development in co-operation with Eurostat, JPO, KIPO, NSF, USPTO and WIPO.
Each year, some of the world's most prominent patent statistics experts meet at the conference
to present and discuss their latest projects and research results. The conference is of particular
interest to academics, consultants, publishers, statisticians, and commercial users from both the
private and public sectors.
Further information is available at
http://www.epo.org/learning-events/events/conferences/patent-statistics.html
WIPO Executive Program: Strategic Intellectual Property Management, Cape Town, December 17 to 19, 2012
The Academy of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is offering its Executive
Program, “Strategic Intellectual Property Management”, in Cape Town, South Africa, from December 17
to 19, 2012. This is a three-day intensive training program which targets executives and
managers involved in R&D. This program will be held in English, and its registration fee is US$
2,000. A 40% discount is made available to participants from developing countries. Further
information is available at the
website of WIPO Executive
Program.
Note
The SMEs Section welcomes voluntary contributions of articles, case studies, news items,
useful links and relevant information concerning forthcoming events of interest to entrepreneurs
and SMEs for inclusion in future issues of this newsletter; contributions may be sent by email to
sme@wipo.int.
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Copyright (c) 2012 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 34, chemin des
Colombettes, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
