Towards the (Strategic) Management of Intellectual Property: Retrospective and Prospective

TLDR

Intellectual property has existed for centuries, yet systematic integrated management of IP is a recent development. The study argues that contemporary complexity necessitates integrated IP management. Integrated IP management involves coordinating patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights with business model design and corporate strategy, rather than merely licensing or product development.

Abstract

The systematic integrated management of intellectual property (IP) is a recent phenomenon. This is despite the fact that intellectual property has been around for several centuries. Today, matters are more complicated, and integrated IP management is required. By integrated IP management we mean not only that the various forms of intellectual property (patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyright) are managed together, but that intellectual property management is in turn integrated with overall business model design and corporate strategy. Integrated management is more than simply establishing a licensing model, or manufacturing a product that incorporates new invention.