Still underestimating China?

The Economist magazine has a piece this week entitled "Patent Fiction". They take issue with the findings in a Thomson Reuters' report "China IQ (Innovation Quotient)" that looks at the latest data on the growth of invention patent applications.

It is funny how they trot out the old quantity-versus-quality cliche. I predicted that response 4 years ago when this shift was becoming apparent. It indicates a dangerous level of complacency.

Ireland to host local division of Unified Patent Court

BREAKING NEWS:

Richard Bruton, the Irish Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, has announced that Ireland will host a local division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

The UPC is a key part of the Patent Package that is currently in the process of being ratified in Europe. Its adoption depends on ratification by 13 Member States.

Ireland's proposed Knowledge Development Box

The 2015 Budget speech by the Irish Minister for Finance mentioned that Ireland is taking steps to develop a "Knowledge Development Box" (KDB). Most people took this as meaning that it would be implemented in 2015. This is not exactly what the minister said.

The Hazard of Phenomenal Success

Previously, we have seen how even some large firms do not have a formal IP Strategy.

We have looked at how entrepreneurs can plan for success by making provision for IP rights they will need even if they do not develop them along the way to success.

But what if you are wildly successful?

 What could go wrong?

 Well, plenty actually.

Progress report on UPC preparations

Last week the Preparatory Committee of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) issued a revised roadmap.

The report outlines the significant activities to date in preparing for the UPC as part of the broader Patent Package.

What entrepreneurs forget

The history of entrepreneurship is replete with tales of failure. Failure followed by dusting yourself off, getting up and trying again.

It may not be catastrophic failure. Sometimes it is trial and error ... testing what works and what doesn't ... changing the mix ... until the recipe for success reveals itself.

What are the implications for IP? Well, I mentioned in the previous post that few firms - large or small - have broad awareness of IP strategy.

Consider what this means for entrepreneurial firms who eventually make the grade.

IP Strategy and awareness in the UK

The UK Intellectual Property Office has invested a lot of effort into raising awareness among UK firms. The primary focus has been on micro, small and medium sized firms on the assumption that larger firms have a higher level of awareness.

A survey published in 2006 confirmed the assumption. IP awareness increased with the size of firm. The same research was repeated in 2010 and yielded similar results about awareness as well as marking an increase in the overall awareness in the intervening period.

This didn't surprise me. I have commented previously about the prevailing climate that promotes such awareness.

What really surprised me was the low level of firms with an IP strategy.

Graphene - lessons for British innovation

Today's Financial Times has an article with the headline "Asia ahead in race to develop graphene". This is a technology that the British Chancellor of the Exchequer described as a "great British discovery". However, the UK has only filed 101 of the 11,372 patents and patent applications filed worldwide in the field of graphene - a mere 0.9% of the total. Asia has filed 7,318.