Objectives:

Innovation is the positive externality and ultimate goal of the IP system. Accordingly, this research aims at identifying policy and legal measures as well as streams of reform that make better use of IP rights in the process of bringing innovative products to the market. Indeed, many firms may dispose of IP rights and patents in particular, but still have problems overcoming obstacles of various kinds to making optimal use of those rights in the pro-innovation interest of society at large. If IP rights are used sub-optimally, they may also risk creating obstacles for innovation efforts of competitors. From these angles, this research analyses the full development chain from the first idea and the creation of the subject-matter of protection to the marketing of new products.

Description of Work and Role of Specific Beneficiaries and Partner Organisations:

This work package addresses major problems that can be identified along the value stream of the creation, introduction and dissemination of innovation. These problems include the bridging of the valley of death between the creation of innovation and its implementation in new and better products (ESR1, Beneficiaries UM and MIPLC, partner organisations ASTP Proton, Chemelot InSciTe), the fact that many available and protected innovative products are not used and never make it to the market (ESR2, Beneficiaries UA and CEIPI, partner organisation OHIM) and the effects that patent aggregators have on access to potential implementers of innovation (ESR3, Beneficiaries MIPLC and UM, partner organisation EPI). They all address the role that IP can and should play in order to foment the availability and implementation of innovation into commercially available products.