ABSTRACT
The design of a product or service is important for any organization as this activity will greatly contribute to reduce, or increase, in a large proportion, the production or delivery cost of a product or service. This chapter reviews the link between the product/service design and the operations function, paying particular attention to the role of the second on the first. It discusses the different stages that the design of a product or service normally goes through. The chapter provides new innovative products or services must be legally protected for an organization to fully take advantage of its innovations. It also provides some general review regarding the importance of protecting an organization's intellectual property and the most common types of legal protections. There are several legal ways through which organization can protect their innovations but the most popular and well-recognized forms of intellectual property are Patents.
