According to one informed estimate from the late 1990s, three-quarters of the Fortune 100 in the total market capitalization was represented by intangible assets such as patents, copyrights and trademarks. In this environment, the author warns, intellectual property management, can not be left to technology managers and corporate lawyers alone - it should be a concern for the functional and business unit leaders, and the most senior officers of the corporation. To fully realize the value of intellectual property of their companies, top managers should seek answers to the following questions: How can a company use intellectual property rights to gain and sustain competitive advantage? As intellectual property rights affects the structure of the industry? What options do intellectual property rights offer in relation to your competitors? As intellectual property rights grant advantage of positions and the creation of barriers to entry? As intellectual property rights will help the company gain vertical power along the value chain? What organizational strategy holds the intellectual property is most effective? The author examines each question, based on the examples of companies such as Nokia, Motorola, Novo Nordisk, and Leo Pharma, while helping lead the intellectual property rights of their dark existence in patent and legal departments. "Hide
by Marcus Reitzig Source: MIT Sloan Management Review 8 pages. Publication Date: April 1, 2004. Prod. #: SMR134-PDF-ENG
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