tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923005810906159036.post5296561755093676943..comments2024-03-27T12:49:05.975+00:00Comments on IP finance: Trademarks and the Company Organizational ChartAnne Fairpohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579190868405783459noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923005810906159036.post-7247922373941974502009-07-03T17:30:31.209+01:002009-07-03T17:30:31.209+01:00This topic is very relevant to the emerging discus...This topic is very relevant to the emerging discussion among IP professionals in the U.S. as to whether mid-size and large technology and life science companies ought to have a single C-level executive in charge of all types of IP, including patents, know-how, trademarks and copyrights. Such a person would have overall organizational responsibility for the generation, protection, acquisition and value extraction (note that I said value-extraction and not merely "monetization") for all of these forms of IP.<br /> <br />One of the real hot buttons in the current "CIPO" debate is whether the corporate intellectual asset management function is so bound up with mitigating legal risk (primarily third party infringement claims) that it has to be embedded in the law department as has traditionally been the case -- with the head of IP reporting to the General Counsel or VP-Law -- or whether it should be spun-out into a separate profit center, or, as in the case of Philips and AT&T, into a free standing subsidiary.<br /> <br />Those who advocate for the latter model argue that as long as IP is viewed by top management and the board as a purely legal function, it will continue to be treated solely as a risk factor and not as a value driver.<br /> <br />A related issue has to do with the primitive state of IP valuation methodologies. The argument here is that until IP value shows up on the balance sheet, senior management, boards of directors and financial markets will not give it the attention (in terms of enterprise value) that it deserves.<br /> <br />PS - IAM Magazine is currently doing an in-depth study of the CIPO issue.Ron Laurienoreply@blogger.com