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Strategic Use of patents
An overview
Pénin Julien BETA – Université de Strasbourg penin@cournot.u-strasbg.fr
DIMETIC Lecture April, 2009
How to valorise a patent (once you get one)? 1) Offensive strategy: to protect a monopoly (exclusion) 2) Market strategy: to trade technologies 3) Defensive strategy: cross-licensing 4) Reputation strategy: to certify and signal competences 5) Partnership strategy: to collaborate 6) Open strategy: to diffuse or free technologies
Others: Blocking strategy, internal strategy (patent to manage employees), etc.
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A wide spectrum of use
Enable appropriation Prevent appropriation
Strict appropriation Ex: pharmaceuticals
Bargaining chips Ex: electronics
Control the diffusion of the innovation Ex: network industries
Grant licences more or less exclusive Ex: chemicals
Reputation, image, signalling
Free technologies Ex: biotech RT
Many different possible role for a patent
Sectoral specificities
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Patents: practical details (1)
A patent provides a monopoly over a technical invention on a given territory and for a maximum of 20 years (after the first application) (TRIPs agreement) A patent is a right to exclude (not to use)
Prevent others from producing, selling and using the invention
To be patentable, an invention must be new, nonobvious and must have an industrial application Application must be addressed to patent offices (EPO, USPTO, OMPI), which examine them. No European or world patent (only centralized procedures, PCT)
Priority rule
18 months after the application, a description of the invention is disclosed (secrecy is broken)
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Patents: practical details (2)
Two main patent systems: USA / rest of the world
USA
First to invent 1 year grace period Usefulness criteria Moral obligation to patent No publication obligation Disclose the « Best way » Reexamination No first user right Geographic homogeneity
Europe (ROW)
First to file Invention must be new...