WIPO SMEs Newsletter April 2015
By the SMEs Section of the SMEs and Entrepreneurship Support Division 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. If you have received this newsletter from someone and would like to subscribe yourself, then simply visit our website https://www.wipo.int/sme/en/. Also for past issues and information on the activities of the SMEs Section, please visit https://www.wipo.int/sme.
News
Results of the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2014 and Program Highlights for 2015
WIPO Director Generals presentation to Ambassadors.
World IP Day 2015 Get up, stand up. For music
In the early 1970s, fans of Bob Marley and the Wailers gathered around record players, 8-track tape decks and cassette players to listen to Get Up, Stand Up, which went on to become an international anthem for human rights.
Decades on, technology has transformed societies as well as music: How it is created, recorded, distributed and enjoyed. Digital music files and Internet connections have provided new platforms and audiences for recording artists, but have also added new pressure on their livelihoods as a result of mass piracy, fast-evolving business models and an uncertain future.
Each April 26, World IP Day celebrates the human ingenuity and creativity that drives progress, benefiting mankind. And what is more universal than music, a manifestation of the innate human desire to get together and groove? Thats why the theme for this years World IP Day is Get Up, Stand Up. For Music.
WIPO-WEF Inventor Assistance Program (IAP)
WIPO and the World Economic Forum have geared up and launched a pilot project to bring together developing country inventors and small businesses with limited financial means with patent attorneys, who provide pro bono legal assistance to secure patent protection.
Resources on IP Asset Management
IP PANORAMA Multimedia Toolkit
The IP PANORAMA multimedia toolkit is available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Hungarian, Vietnamese and Thai versions on or through the pages at https://www.wipo.int/sme/en/multimedia/ and http://www.ippanorama.com/.
CD-ROMs of the English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic versions are also available on request. Anyone interested in receiving a free copy of the CD-ROM may email publications.mail@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
Patent Harmonization: US & UK Study on Grace Periods
In an increasingly globalized market, the issue of harmonized patent laws is becoming more salient for patent offices and businesses.
The Dynamics of Global Technology and Knowledge Flows
This paper is intended to provide policymakers with an overview of how technology and knowledge flow at the regional and global levels. After presenting the economic role of knowledge as well as a number of basic concepts related to its dissemination, this paper identifies certain prerequisites for successful knowledge transfer. It subsequently discusses various channels for transfer and diffusion, including integration by firms in global value chains, participation by public and private actors in knowledge networks, and the movement of skilled individuals among institutions and across geographic regions.
Copyright and the value of the public domain
This research report documents the results of a year-long knowledge exchange initiative undertaken between the UK Intellectual Property Office, researchers at the University of Glasgow CREATe Centre, and more than two dozen UK businesses and innovators, to explore how value is generated from the public domain. The overall purpose of the project was 1) to map the size of the public domain and frequency of its use; 2) analyze the role of public domain works in value creation for UK businesses; and 3) assist creators and entrepreneurs to identify business models that benefit from the public domain.
Attributes That Influence Intellectual Property Value
Financial advisers are often asked to analyze an owner/operators intellectual property. The financial adviser may be asked to perform this analysis for transaction (sale or license) purposes, financing (collateral value) purposes, taxation (income, gift and estate, or property tax) purposes, financial accounting (fair value determination) purposes, corporate governance and strategic planning (management stewardship and commercialization opportunity) purposes, and litigation (tort claim and breach of contract claim) purposes. The financial adviser may be asked to conclude a defined value, exchange ratio, license royalty rate, intercompany transfer price, or economic damages measurement for the intellectual property. This discussion considers the attributes that may influence the financial advisers intellectual property value conclusion.
How To Protect Trade Secrets when Meeting Potential Partners
Trade secrets are based upon three essential elements: 1) a trade secret must not be known by the general public or by your competitors; 2) it must give the owner a competitive advantage or be capable of generating economic benefit; and 3) the owner must take reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of the information. During business dealings or negotiations with third parties, whether it be potential partners, suppliers, contractors, licensees, or customers, your trade secrets can be protected by applying certain simple and sensible precautions.
The Patent Guide: A handbook for analyzing and interpreting patent data
The study of patents has been approached with increased enthusiasm in recent times. At present there are clear differences in perspective between professional patent experts, researchers undertaking patent analysis and the audience for this research, which includes governments, the press, businesses and individuals. Such differences increase the possibility for incorrect analysis or inappropriate interpretation of analysis. Decisions based upon this could be incorrect and potentially harmful.
This handbook has been created to improve shared understanding between patent experts and those undertaking or using patent research.
Defining Reasonable in RAND: A Bit of Common Sense
What is RAND? Its a simple question. Given the ubiquity of the term, one would think that the answer would be clear. After all, standard-setting organizations (SSOs) around the world require patent holders to declare their standard-essential patents and commit to license on RAND terms. Competition law enforcement agencies have mandated RAND licensing in remedial orders. Courts have been asked to determine whether licensing offers are consistent with RAND. Yet after more than a decade of wrangling in legal disputes, antitrust enforcement investigations, and policy debates across the globe, the definition of RAND is still, to a large degree, an open and multifaceted question.
Intellectual Property Rights on Plant Varieties in India: A Sector-Wise Analysis
The present study focuses on development in Indian agriculture with reference to IPR granted under the Act. The study also analyses and determines the focus of public and private sector research and the trend of early filing for grant of IPR in both public and private sector. The awareness of the PPV&FR Act among farmers, the custodians of traditional varieties, is also determined by trend analysis of farmers variety applications received from various states across India.
Making a Mark
This guide is devoted to trademarks, a central element in the marketing and branding strategy of any company. It seeks to explain trademarks from a business perspective.
Looking Good
This guide focuses on the role of external appearance in helping companies to differentiate their products from those of competitors and for enhancing their brand image.
Inventing the Future
This guide focuses on patents, a key tool to enhance a company's ability to draw maximum benefit from new and innovative ideas and technological capabilities.
Creative Expression
This guide would help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to: understand how to protect the works that they create or in which they own rights; get the most out of copyright and/or related rights; and avoid violating the copyright or related rights of others.
Marketing Crafts and Visual Arts: The Role of Intellectual Property: A practical guide
This practical and user-friendly guide brings out the relationship between successful marketing of crafts and visual arts, and the use of intellectual property (IP) tools. It presents numerous case studies and examples about managing IP assets in the craft and visual arts sectors from a number of countries worldwide.
Secrets of Intellectual Property: A Guide for Small and Medium-sized Exporters
Exporters around the world can now benefit from a new practical guide on intellectual property for exporters published this month by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the International Trade Centre. "Secrets of Intellectual Property: a Guide for Small and Medium-sized Exporters" provides practical guidance on how to deal with some of the most common intellectual property (IP) issues encountered by exporters. This user-friendly guide is written in the form of questions and answers, and contains a large number of references for further reading. It provides an international business perspective on a wide range of key intellectual property issues for exporters.
Exchanging Value - Negotiating Technology Licensing Agreements: A Training Manual
A publication on how to negotiate technology licensing agreements was published jointly by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The manual entitled Exchanging Value Negotiating Technology Licensing Agreements provides an introduction to some of the basic issues that arise in technology licensing negotiations and offers useful insights into how they may best be handled. In a highly competitive and dynamic marketplace, technology licensing is a useful option for companies seeking to maintain their competitive advantage and a healthy balance sheet. It covers a wide range of basic issues that arise during technology licensing negotiations and offers useful insights into how they may best be handled in practice.
A Stitch in Time
By relying on a wide range of short case studies taken from traditional as well as modern enterprises, this booklet provides a snapshot of the value of effective use of the different tools of the IP system (Industrial designs, copyright, patents, trademarks, geographical indications, trade secrets) for enhancing the competitiveness of products in the textiles, clothing, footwear, and fashion industries, both in the domestic and export markets.
In Good Company - Managing Intellectual Property Issues in Franchising
This 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.
Making Intellectual Property Work for Business: A handbook for chambers of commerce and business associations setting up intellectual property services
Business membership organizations around the world can now benefit from a new practical guide on establishing business support services relating to intellectual property (IP) developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). "Making intellectual property work for business: A handbook for chambers of commerce and business associations setting up intellectual property services" provides practical guidance on the key areas where business membership organizations can integrate IP into their services. This user-friendly handbook is written to support a wide range of basic to more advanced IP services and contains a large number of references to online resources.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
WIPO Summer Schools
WIPO, in cooperation with the partners, is organizing summer schools in 2015 in Shanghai, Singapore, Mexico City, Geneva, St. Petersburg, Daejeon, Alexandria, and Durban. Registration is now open for Shanghai, which will take place from May 4 to 15, 2015, respectively.
Further information on all WIPO summer schools and online registration can be found at: https://www.wipo.int/academy/en/courses/summer_school/
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.
If you have received this newsletter from someone and would like to subscribe yourself, then simply visit our website https://www.wipo.int/sme/en/.
To remove your email address from this mailing list or to add an email address yourself, please go to https://www.wipo.int/lists/subscribe/sme-en.
Past issues of this newsletter, since August 2001, may be accessed here.
Copyright (c) 2015 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 34, chemin des Colombettes, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland