case studies

In this new case study Auto-Plas, a UK company with an international reputation in the field of design and manufacture of automotive styling accessories, tells us how strategic management of their intellectual property has contributed to their business growth.

In the new world of international alliances and networks, in order to sustain competitiveness in the global market companies are extending their business activities at international level, now more than ever.

If a company wants to enter new foreign markets, its business and intellectual property (IP) strategy should be shaped in a flexible way, allowing adaptation to new business and competition environments.

Like most unique food and wine products whose quality and reputation are strictly linked to their geographical origin, Lambrusco, maybe the most famous sparkling red wine in the world, is protected at European Union level by several geographical indications.

Geographical indications (GIs) are valuable intangible assets and their protection and enforcement constitute a crucial step to retain the related competitive advantage.

The use of copyrighted works, in particular text and image-based works, is intensive and pervasive in most companies. In this regard, the combination of low copyright awareness with fast and easy ways to access and share information has created one of the most important challenges facing companies today — copyright risk management.

This case study, based on the direct experience of a software company, illustrates how to avoid pitfalls in copyright management.

Every day there are many good ideas and research results that are put aside due to inappropriate innovation strategies.

This case study, based on the direct experience of Tapointel S.L., demonstrates how an SME can succeed in managing innovation and setting up an effective patent application strategy with the support of a European IPR Helpdesk Ambassador.

Biotechnology is a field where technology advances rapidly. For this reason, it is vital for any company operating in this sector to protect the innovations that they generate with Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

In this case study you can see the example of Keygene, an SME that has been able to reap the entire benefit from their intellectual property capital by setting an IP strategy from the outset in line with their core business and put it into operational phases via proper IP management.

This case study addresses database protection in the EU Seventh Framework Programme by pointing out the difference between the protection of database content and structure, which may benefit from copyright and/or database sui generis protection.

Ownership over the intellectual property arising as a result of the innovation is one of the most critical issues to resolve in the framework of collaborative projects, especially in cases where two or more partners generate results jointly. This case study sets out the likely actions to be undertaken in such a situation to avoid any drawbacks and for a proper management of a jointly owned research result.

This case study tells how an SME can succeed in filing patent applications with the support of the Enterprise Europe Network. Having proper competences and cooperating closely with international network partners, EEN representatives assist in developing the potential and innovative capacity of SMEs. EEN partners facilitate direct contact with university experts and patent agents. Such contacts are helpful in the development of new products which are the subject of patent applications filed by network clients.

Refraining from using an acronym similar to a registered trade mark for goods and/or services in the same area is important in R&D projects, particularly when consortium partners intend to commercially exploit a result or provide a service in the market under the acronym or name of the project.

In this case study you can see the possible risks that consortium partners can face in these situations and, most importantly, how to avoid them.

This case study shows a good example of an SME that has developed efficient IP strategy and management practices. The case put forward the idea that the pre-condition for successfully carrying out business activities is not only based on the mere knowledge of IP but mainly on the will of the company to properly manage its intangible assets in order to reap the full benefits from it.

Every day many good ideas and research results are wasted due to a wrong strategic innovation plan; writing a “good patent” does not necessarily mean that an idea is transformed into a “good business”. Before starting with a new technology development or a research project, both entrepreneurs and researchers should carefully develop knowledge of the state of the art using IP databases for verifying if the idea is really new and if there is any blocking patent contained in other similar technologies. This would prove to be beneficial from the business rollout up to the subsequent internationalisation, and the present case study draws attention to this process.

The present case study brings to your attention the importance of having a sound IP management during FP7 projects, able to foresee actions aimed at avoiding and resolving potential IPR conflicts arising during and after the project's implementation. This would indeed lead to a successful research project and to an enhanced marketability of the project results.

This anonymous case study is based in an experience of a consortium participating in a research for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) associations’ action. The consortium partners in this project faced difficulties to agree on the definition of “fair and reasonable conditions” to be granted to the SME associations.