The intellectual property system can sometimes be regarded as a tool which is optimised for the multi-national corporation, exclusively for protecting blockbuster inventions, and not very relevant to small businesses.  However, many developed economies,  and almost all developing countries, rely upon the small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector for a substantial proportion of their innovative capacity.  Paradoxically, it can be more difficult to identify research originating from these small companies than from larger ones.  This in turn can hinder other negotiations such as establishing joint ventures, valuing intangible assets before a formal takeover bid, or head-hunting key personnel.  This session will consider some of the challenges inherent in locating and using records of the IP generated and owned by small businesses.<br/>

Monitoring the minnows: Using IP information to understand what small businesses are doing

251st National Meeting (2016)

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