Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/49418
her inform IP Strategy Intellectual property (IP) is a key element in business success, yet directors and Boards often give it scant attention NO MATTER THE SIZE of your business, if you are a director you have certain responsibilities that come with that role. This includes not just about understanding the finances of a business, but fully understanding and engaging with the whole business strategy that underpins the direction the business is taking. You need an understanding of what the risks and rewards associated with IP are. Why should your business have an IP strategy at all? Value in a modern business relates more to intangible assets than buildings, plant and product. While the industrial economy saw an emphasis on control of raw materials, products and markets, the modern economy focuses on the control of ideas, brands, innovation and markets. Whether brand names, trade secrets or patents for inventions, intangible assets now make up major assets of a modern business. Having a clear strategy around IP is critical to a business and must be integrally linked with the business strategy. Surveys have been undertaken that highlight a disturbing gap between the way that IP is seen, and the way that it is managed in practice. The results of those surveys found that over 90% of respondents believed IP: gave business a competitive advantage • • improved profits of the business • was important to protecting a market • was an important factor in assessing investment. Venture capitalists clearly see IP as a key business asset. Despite these findings, it is of concern that a significant number of New Zealand businesses do not have a documented IP strategy for their business. Worse still, an even larger number of business do not have a strategy document signed off by the Board. Similar surveys conducted in New Zealand reveal a similar gap. The surveys undertaken suggest that a lack of Board-level commitment to IP management is attributable to a lack of understanding of IP and its benefits. Often IP is regarded as a cost or goodwill item rather than as a revenue generator. It is also often seen as a specialist legal issue rather than a broader business issue. This thinking needs to change. Directors have a fiduciary duty to oversee IP asset management. "Corporate Governance in New Zealand Principles and Guidelines" require a continuous disclosure regime. Full and meaningful information must be disclosed so shareholders are kept well-informed about an organisation's affairs. Annual reporting is also required on risk identification and management. Disclosure should include information about key assets and their value, material expenses and liabilities, such as for IP infringement. In the current governance climate there is a greater possibility of directors being held personally liable for company losses incurred through negligence or bad faith. Omitting IP from strategic consideration may expose the company to liability and lessen shareholder value. It may also expose directors 60 | December/January 2012 | HER MAGAZINE to personal liability. A sound IP strategy supported by an IP policy, outlining how IP matters are to be handled, can minimise risks and help compliance with the disclosure requirements. Boards should not wait for a crisis to highlight the importance of IP to the organisation they govern. An organisation needs a flexible policy that reflects the nature of its business, and is informed by its business strategy. However, any IP policy does need to address some of the following common, but critical areas: What have we got? Carrying out an annual IP audit will tell you what IP you own. The audit also helps the asset valuation process. How do we capture it? An IP policy should address the process for capturing IP and monitoring its release. Who is responsible? Your IP policy should identify the person or team that: captures IP for your organisation, seeks and maintains its • protection and makes enforcement decisions; • monitors agreements impacting on IP, which can include agreements like employment agreements, research contracts, distribution agreements, confidentiality agreements, licenses and material transfer agreements; • monitors legal and regulatory changes impacting on IP policy and business strategy; and checks for infringement of third party IP rights. • What are we doing with the IP? An IP policy should match your current business strategy. IP is only a tool to assist businesses achieve their commercial objectives. It is easy to collect a portfolio of IP rights, but these can come with significant costs. You should also address how your marketing and research teams are aligning IP policy with the business strategy. Competitive intelligence A regular review of IP databases can provide some valuable information. You may be able to gain insights on who your major competitors are and what they are doing, ideas about product development and how to minimise infringement risks. You may also be able to identify potential business partners or acquisition targets. Conclusion The value of IP for a modern business is undisputed. An IP strategy can no longer be left solely to management. IP needs to be given a higher profile in Board discussions because the risks and rewards are too important to ignore. IP rights need to be treated strategically in line with the business strategy and vision. Most importantly, any IP strategy needs the full understanding and support of the Board to succeed. Corinne Blumsky Partner, A J Park corinne.blumsky@ajpark.com