Women and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
In country after country, statistics show that even during these years of economic crisis and recession, the one robust sector providing economic growth, increased productivity and employment has been that of small and medium-sized enterprises. What is less known is that in many countries up to 40 percent to 50 percent of such enterprises are owned and run by women - women who are actual or potential owners of trademarks, service marks, trade name as well as of industrial designs, patents and copyright. It is critical that outreach programs to build awareness about the importance of intellectual property and its protection target these women and also the women running the majority of micro enterprises and the many cooperatives that are proving so successful, especially in developing countries. Women, just as men, deserve to be given the means to enable them to take advantage of intellectual property as a tool of economic and social empowerment.
Women seeking to generate income by setting up and developing a business, usually operate in micro, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are the driving force of most economies with a proven capacity to innovate and to generate new ideas and technologies. Consequently, a wider and more effective use of the intellectual property (IP) system would enable innovative and creative women doing business in SMEs to enhance their market position and to contribute to the economic growth of their countries.
A good understanding of the IP system will enable women entrepreneurs to establish an IP strategy suitable to the needs, possibilities and capacities of their business. How can an effective IP strategy can assist woman entrepreneurs to face key business concerns, including raising finances, increasing the market value of the enterprise, marketing products and services, finding partners and suppliers, exporting, acquiring technology and conducting business transactions on the Internet?
An exquisite example of successful IP management has been given by Mandy Haberman, an English inventor, who triumphed in both the marketplace and the courts. Over the years, Mandy Haberman has won numerous invention awards, including the "British Female Inventor of the Year" award in 2000. For more information on this case study see: http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/case_studies/haberman.htm and http://www.mandyhaberman.com.
Another interesting case study is that of "Mary Engelbreit: Artist and Entrepreneur", which provides some interesting insights into how this prolific and talented woman artist has made profitable use of copyright licensing. For more information on this case study see: http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/case_studies/engelbreit_licensing.htm.
The SMEs Division of WIPO seeks to demystify IP and to provide more insight into the benefits of IP for businesses by providing reader-friendly answers to some common business questions about IP. For more information on small and medium-sized enterprises visit http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/.
