Five to 10 years ago, the strategic management of codified intellectual property rights — that is, patents, trademarks, copyrights and designs — was still a relatively exotic topic. More recently, the subject has received considerable attention in the business literature. Empirically speaking, however, we still know very little about the importance companies place on IP as a component of business and corporate strategy. Although business-unit managers surely find frameworks that align business strategy with IP1 helpful, and though top corporate executives are inspired by anecdotal evidence of selected colleagues’ commitment to patents2, these executives also need more data on several important topics relating IP to company strategy.3
To properly assess their competitive situation, these decision makers must first know:
- What does the competitive landscape with respect to IP rights look like? In addition to responsibly implementing IP strategy, managers should know:
- What are proven, successful strategies for using intellectual property at the corporate and business-unit level? What is the role of the executive committee and the board in IP strategy?
- What organizational structures support IP-related strategies the most? What pitfalls need to be avoided?
- How do successful organizations manage the “dos and don’ts” of working with intellectual property, both at the business-unit and the corporate level?
To gain insights into these questions, my research team and I analyzed original questionnaire data... To read the complete article, login or sign-up using the form below.
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