WIPO SMEs Newsletter May 2010

By the SMEs Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

WIPO SMEs Newsletter is a monthly e-publication providing readers with useful intellectual property (IP) information contained in articles, case studies, forthcoming IP/SMEs relevant events, and published presentations featured on our web site. We hope you will find it useful and informative. We encourage you to share the newsletter or items of interest with friends and colleagues. For past issues and information on the activities of the SMEs Division, please visit http://www.wipo.int/sme.
  

NEWS

 WIPO Marks World Environment Day with its First-ever Open Day on June 5, 2010 

On Saturday, June 5, 2010, which coincides with the World Environment Day, WIPO will for the first time open its doors to the public at large.  This will provide an opportunity for the Organization to showcase its activities and demonstrate how its work helps contribute to human and social progress.  
 
Visitors will learn about the basic elements of intellectual property – patents, trademarks, designs, geographical indications and copyright - and how the intellectual property system works to promote innovation and creativity.  WIPO staff will be present to answer questions about the Organization’s activities.
 
Activities and exhibits will be organized both inside WIPO’s landmark building on the Palais des Nations and in the gardens. The exhibits will include green tech innovations, such as a photovoltaic roof system by DuPont. Visitors will also have access to the top floor of the WIPO building, which affords breathtaking views of the surroundings.
For more details, see at http://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/open_day/  
  

Comments Sought on the Draft Table of Contents, and Expression of Interest by Potential Contributors, for the Proposed WIPO Publication on Intellectual Property and Financing  

The WIPO plans to publish, by the end of this year, a publication provisionally entitled “ Financial Capital and Financial Aspects of Intellectual Property Management: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs, SMEs, Lenders and Investors.”  Interested readers and/or potential pro-bono contributors are requested to comment on the linked draft table of contents with a view to add, subtract or modify it so as to better serve the interests of the intended audience. It is hoped that some 25 contributors of international standing from around the world would contribute to one or more of the proposed chapters. It is expected that each author would contribute a chapter of some ten pages in English (A-4 size). Their contributions would be duly acknowledged in the proposed publication. At the same time, it would also be most appreciated if the attention of WIPO is drawn to similar publications in English, French or Spanish. Please e-mail your response to sme.mail@wipo.int.   
 

WIPO Member States Advance Work on Traditional Knowledge, Folklore and Genetic Resources 

WIPO Member States made significant progress in advancing the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) this month. This first session of the IGC under its new mandate to conduct "text-based negotiations" to reach agreement on an international legal instrument was held from May 3 to 7, 2010. The IGC agreed on arrangements for intercessional working groups (IWGs), establishing a foundation for continued negotiating rounds. The role of IWGs is to support and facilitate the IGC's negotiations by providing legal and technical advice and analysis, including, where appropriate, options and scenarios.  
 

WIPO Director General Highlights Importance of Intellectual Property for Innovation and Technology Transfer  

The critical role of intellectual property as a tool for enabling innovation, the practical transfer of technology and industrial competitiveness were the focus of the remarks of WIPO Director General Francis Gurry to a key meeting of member states of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Vienna on May 10, 2010.  Mr. Gurry highlighted the key role of the intellectual property system in facilitating technology transfer by incentivizing investment in innovation, providing a framework for trading intellectual assets, and establishing market order through marks and brands. He noted that the innovation landscape was “the subject of rapid and radical change,” pointing to the intensification of investment in knowledge creation which had more than doubled in the past 15 years, rising to some 1.1. trillion US dollars in 2009.    

TRAINING/LEARNING RESOURCES ON IP ASSET MANAGEMENT  

Hungarian Version of IP PANORAMA TM Multimedia Toolkit is Coming Soon 

The Hungarian Patent Office (HPO) recently created, at its own cost, the Hungarian version of the first ten modules of IP PANORAMA TM multimedia toolkit. This was done under an agreement between WIPO and HPO. The Hungarian version will be soon available to the public both in the form of CD-ROMs and online. Other credible partners interested in doing so in other languages may contact the SMEs Division at sme.mail@wipo.int  

E-learning Module on IPRs in Trade Fairs in China  

http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/emodule/2/ 

New CD-ROMs Release of IP PANORAMA TM Multimedia Toolkit  

WIPO has recently published a new CD-ROMs of the IP PANORAMA TM multimedia toolkit which contains which contains 12 modules. These include a revised Module 1 and two new modules on (1) Valuation of IP Assets and (2) Trademark Licensing - (Modules 11 and 12). Anyone interested in receiving a free copy of the new CD-ROM may send an email to sme@wipo.int providing your full postal address, including telephone number, and the purpose for which the CD-ROM would be used.  

Armenian Nationally Customized Versions of the three IP for Business Publications  “Making a Mark”, “Looking Good”, and “Inventing the Future”Published  

The Intellectual Property Agency of Armenia published the customized versions of the three WIPO publications entitled, “ Making a Mark”, “ Looking Good”, “ and “ Inventing theFuture”.  

Armenian Nationally Customized Version of A Stitch in Time (IP Guide for Textiles) Published  

The customized version of the WIPO textile guide is, “ here”n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n .      

LINKS  

Authorized Generic Entry prior to Patent Expiry: Reassessing Incentives for Independent Generic Entry  

In this paper, Silvia Appelt, Professor, University of Munich, provides recent empirical evidence on the impact of early entry - also known as authorized, branded or pseudo-generic entry - on independent generic entry decisions accounting for the endogeneity of early entry decisions. She argues that independent generic entry decisions are primarily influenced by drug markets’ pre-entry revenues. 

Examples of Five Best Practices on Public Support on IP to SMEs  

http://www.innovaccess.eu/ecs3_sme_preparation.html#1  

Does Patent Strategy Shape the Long-run Supply of Public Knowledge? Evidence from Human Genetics  

In this paper, Kenneth G. Huang and Fiona E. Murray claim that gene patent grant decreases the long-run production of public genetic knowledge, with broader patent scope, private-sector ownership, complexity of the patent landscape, and the gene’s commercial relevance exacerbating the effect. Please see also the other article entitled “Knowledge Production in Innovative Firms under Uncertain Intellectual Property Conditions,” which is written by Mr. Huang at http://www2.druid.dk/conferences/viewpaper.php?id=5427&cf=32. 

Open Innovation: Researching a New Paradigm  

This is a free online publication on open innovation edited by Henry Chesbrough, Wim Vanhaverbeke and Joel West. Amongst other things, it deals with intellectual property issues in open innovation. 

Do Shorter Product Cycles Induce Patent Thickets?  

The traditional argument that shorter product cycles favor trade secrets over patenting is based on the presumption that copying becomes less profitable and trade secrets less likely to be discovered when a technology can be used for a shortened time period only. Patrick F.e. Beschorner, ZEW Centre for European Economic Research, Mannheim, contradicts this argument, claiming that under certain circumstances shorter product cycles can generate incentives to apply for more patents and the consequence may be the emergence of a patent thicket. 

Monopolising Names? The Protection of Geographical Indications in the European Community  

This is the thesis of Oskari Rovamo, Helsinki University, prepared under the guidance of Professor Jan Klabbers, Faculty of Law, Department of Public Law in the framework of a Project: entitled, ‘Globalisation, International Law and IPR’

http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/oik/julki/pg/rovamo/monopoli.pdf 

Online Encyclopedia of Knowledge Management  

By David G. Schwartz, Bar-llan University, Israel

This encyclopedia is a research reference work documenting the past, present, and possible future directions of knowledge management.

http://www.monshizadeh.drivehq.com/management-E-book/Knowledge%20Management-Schwartz%20D.pdf 

Online Book on Strategic Innovation: New Game Strategies on Competitive Advantage  

by Allan Afuah, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

http://psbm.org/Ebooks/Strategic%20Innovation%20New%20Game%20Strategies%20for%20Competitive%20Advantage.pdf  

IP Pitfalls in Talking With Others  

In this article, Richard B. Hoffman provides some tips for innovators working on a new invention who want to safely talk with others, especially in context of intellectual property. 

Firms with Strong Intellectual Property Strategies Fare Better in Raising Capital  

In this article, Paul Denning, Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management, emphasizes the importance of strong intellectual property management strategies by companies if they wish to successfully raise financial capital. 

The Impact of Innovation and the Role of Intellectual Property Rights on U.S. Productivity, Competitiveness, Jobs, Wages, and Exports  

This report by Nam D. Pham analyzes the economic impacts of innovation and IP protection on the U.S. economy by using data of 27 U.S. exportable and importable industries during 2000-07. It provides evidence to support the claim that innovation is a crucial driver of competitiveness, growth, and value creation, and suggests that IP-intensive industries create jobs and spur economic growth as a result of investments in research and development. 

PAST EVENT

3 rd WIPO Seminar on IP and Creative SMEs; IP Reforms – International and Comparative Perspectives (WIPO Headquarters, Geneva, May 26 to 28, 2010) 

More  

NOTE: 

The SMEs Division welcomes voluntary contributions of articles, case studies, news items, useful links and relevant information concerning forthcoming events of interest to entrepreneurs and SMEs for inclusion in future issues of this newsletter; contributions may be sent by email to sme@wipo.int. 

If you have received this newsletter from someone and would like to subscribe yourself, then simply send an e-mail to sme@wipo.int with "subscribe" as the subject, and indicate your language preference (English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian).
 
The past issues of this newsletter, since August 2001, may be accessed here.
 
Copyright (c) 2010 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 34, chemin des Colombettes, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

  

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