WIPO Asia Sub-Regional on the Use of IP by SME Support Instit.ppt

WIPO Asia Sub-Regional on the Use of IP by SME Support Institutions for the Promotion of Competitiveness of SMEs in the Food Processing SectorLahore, Pakistan, June 5 and 6, 2007Guriqbal Singh JaiyaDirectorSMEs Division, WIPO Intellectual Property Audits Intellectual Property What is an IP audit Why do an IP audit When should an IP audit be done Who should do an IP audit How should an IP audit be done After an IP audit 1. Intellectual Property Rights Innovative products/processes Cultural, artistic and literary works Creative designs Distinctive signs Microchips Goods of a given quality due to its geographical origin Confidential business information Patents or utility models Copyright and related designs Industrial design rights Trademark, Collective mark Layout-designs or topographies of integrated circuits. Geographical indications Trade secrets 2. What is IP Audit? In the knowledge economy intangibles have taken center stage Like tangible assets IP has to be identified, protected and maintained to maximize their value and minimize the potential for third party abuse prevent inadvertent loss ensure freedom to operate IP audit is a review involving the identification of the IP owned, used or acquired by a business, its management, maintenance, exploitation and enforcement 3. Why do an IP audit Enables a company to identify its IP assets Make decisions with respect to those assets; whether rights have been or should be acquired for them, whether they are or should be maintained, how best they could be exploited, are there any redundancies, threats to those rights, infringements of others rights etc.. Importance of IP Assets The overall importance of IP assets to the business will have a bearing on the audit. Where IP assets are relatively unimportant to the nature of the business as a whole, it might be sufficient merely to confirm that registered IP rights are in good standing and are held in the name of the company. Where the company’s