ABSTRACT
How do effective directors ensure the intellectual property of their organisations is properly valued?
Based on a framework of global corporate governance best practice, which can be used in all organisations anywhere in the world, this chapter of Questions To Ask (QTA) in the boardroom gives a high-level but succinct introduction to the topic of intellectual property.
An enterprise’s assets may broadly be divided into two categories: physical assets and intangible assets. Certain corporate intangibles may be protected as forms of intellectual property rights (IPRs), giving rise to potentially valuable monopolies over technology as well as potentially valuable new business models. Directors are collectively responsible for optimising the firm’s investment in its portfolio of IPRs to promote the success of the company as well as managing the accountability aspect of their role in shaping an organisation’s IPR portfolio, activities, technology, strategy, actions, values and ethics.
The chapter’s introduction leads into outlining the key Questions To Ask in the boardroom, giving the reader further insight into how to initiate discussions about intellectual property. The suggested questions cover: corporate technology and IP strategy, IP value, and values and IP ethics, amongst others.
