Intellectual Property (IP)
By
Dr. Abdullah Mahfoudh Salem Baadhem
Faculty of Business and Communication-2022/2023
Intellectual Property (IP)
Intellectual Property (IP)
. What and Why
• Protecting IP
• IP rights policy
• Critical legal issues
What is IP?
• Valuable intangible property - protectable
under the law
• IP is a core asset → creates competitive
advantage
• Licensable – multiple authorized users at the
same time, creating source of (very high margin)
revenue
• Types of IP protection:
• Trade Secrets
• Patents
• Trademark
• Copyright
Trade Secrets
Nondisclosure agreements (NDA)
• No registration required
• Can last for as long as you take reasonable steps to keep confidential
• Nondisclosure agreements (NDA) to prohibit sharing of information with third
parties
Patents
• “monopoly” to prevent others from making, using or selling your
invention for a limited period of time e.g. 20 years
• Patent for an invention - grant of property right by the country its
application is filed in
• Must fulfil certain requirements e.g. novel & useful
• Even if infringement innocent or accidental
• Application and examination is required
Patents, cont.
• Utility patents - protection of new, useful, non-obvious, and
adequately specified processes, machines, and manufacturing
processes. E.g. safety razor
• Design patents - for new original, ornamental, and non-obvious
designs for articles of manufacture. E.g. iPad rounded edges
• Plant patents - for certain new varieties of plants that have been
asexually reproduced.
• A business method patent - a type of a utility patent & involves
the creation and ownership of a process or method.
Developing a Patent
Strategy
• Identify the goals of a patent portfolio
• Identify the intellectual assets and gather
supporting documents
• Identify those assets most suitable for
patent applications
• Develop a plan for licensing, enforcing
and enhancing patents
• Distinctive word, name, symbol, slogan,
shape, sound, or logo that identifies the
source of a product or service
• A good trademark is integral part of a
firm’s brand - identify source of goods –
e.g. Nike Swoosh, Apple logo, Intel
Inside®
• prevent others from using “confusingly
Trademark similar” branding marks and logos
• New company name - memorable,
related to product & services
• Trademark registration is optional, but
has significant advantages if approved
• prevent others from printing, copying, or
publishing any creative works of authors,
composers and artists
• Protects “expressions” of ideas but does
not protect the underlying ideas
• more than just technology: songs, books,
Copyright movies, photos, etc.
• Copyright protection lasts the life of author
+ 70 years
• Registration is optional, but is required to
sue for infringement
• A contractual method of exploiting IP
by transferring rights of use without a
transfer of ownership.
• License – a grant to make use of the
rights of the IP with payment of
royalty/fee
• Valuable income stream
Licensing • Widely used for software provision to
users e.g. Microsoft & Dolby Laboratories
Inc.
IP Needs - Company Dependent
• Types of IP & its protection → depends highly on
company/industry
• Every company has unique business and IP needs and
considerations
• Medical device company – patents
• Social network/commerce start up – trademark, copyright
• Enterprise software company – copyright, trade secret
• Industry dynamics (need portfolio to trade?)
• Stage of the company’s development/resources
Protecting IP
IP Creates
Value
Common IP Mistakes
by Start-Ups
• What is IP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzQzSUZsT_k
• Copyright, Trademark and Patent: What's the Difference?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsTi3vD_Usw
• What is Intellectual Property? Why should I care?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIO8l_Gywy8
