Technology and Knowledge Diffusion
How Technology is Reshaping the IP Management Industry
There’s hardly any area in entrepreneurship today that deals with innovation more than intellectual property rights protection – in fact, cutting-edge technology and inventions are at the core of the IP industry. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the real-life practices, processes, and management in the industry are as technologically advanced – it’s actually quite the contrary, or, at least, has been until recently. Following the footsteps of tech and service companies, the IP management market has also been exposed to global digitization and automation trends.
5G IP makes best with Patent Platform and Technology Investment
Mr. Jang-Hwa Leu, the Director General of Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs Taiwan, indicated that the semiconductor and ICT advantage of Taiwan is impregnable in the world. To keep the lead, intellectual property (IP) protection becomes vital. “5G is setting off a new industrial revolution… the key to be standing on firm ground is to control the latest innovation and IP,” said Mr. Leu.
Under the theme of “Maximising 5G IP value in Taiwan” and co-organized by Business Next, IPBC Taiwan 2021 presents in-depth speeches and discussions about IP and patent protection strategy as well as the value of 5G. The morning session includes senior executives and experts from Nissan Motor, Ericsson, Micron Technology, ARM, Intel, Nokia, and more. Apart from the critical 5G patents, the speakers also shared their insights toward the development of 6G.
ITU – Digital Transformation for cities and communities webinar, 6 December 2021
The accelerated digital transformation has also increased the risk of cyber security threats. As IoT deployment becomes more frequent and sophisticated, smart cities and communities are also becoming more vulnerable to various data breaches. City leaders must be prepared to respond to increased cyber risks and prioritize privacy, security, and trust as the key components of digital transformation, particularly in developing countries.
This webinar will examine the security implication of digital transformation and look at the global development on managing security risks in smart cities and communities. It will also shed light on the latest international standards that are available to enhance the security capability of IoTs and other related systems and applications.
Unprecedented: The Rapid Innovation Response to COVID-19 and the Role of Intellectual Property
On 26 November the new research report about the role that intellectual property played in the development, manufacturing, and global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics was launched in Geneva. The report was co-authored by Innovation Council’s very own Jennifer Brant, and Prof. Mark Schultz.
The report, along with other materials including an executive summary is available here.
Route to Market Guide for Innovators
The Route to Market (R2M) series is being developed by the Department of Research Contracts & Innovation (RC&I) at the University of Cape Town using funding from the Department of Science and Technology’s National Intellectual Property Office (NIPMO). Each booklet focuses on a specific sector/product type and highlights the key steps and considerations in bringing such a product to market in that sector – with an emphasis on the local South African context.
The hope is that this guide on Medical Devices and other booklets, such as this guide on Pharmaceutical Products will be useful to both Researchers and Innovators, as well as Technology Transfer professionals working at institutional Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs).
The books have been released under a Creative Commons license to enable other institutions to customise them for their own use.
Trade secrets and the Internet of Things (IOT)
Innovation Council’s Phil Wadsworth has produced an overview of trade secrets and the Internet of Things (IOT). Trade secrets are a form of intellectual property (IP). In order to understand the relevance of trade secret protection to IOT devices, it is helpful to explore the underlying technologies associated with those devices. This will help the reader to appreciate both the benefits and limitations of trade secret protection.
UN: Covid-19 Summit: Sharing Knowledge, Technology Critical to Curb Virus
Leaders at a virtual Covid-19 summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2021, pledged to mobilize millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines and billions of dollars to “build back better”. Following the summit, the US and European Commission made public a statement to launch a “taskforce” on Covid-19 manufacturing and supply chains, which includes a commitment to coordinate initiatives to boost global production of vaccines and therapeutics.
South Korea launches task force on vaccine and lays out new approach to trade
With the launch of a task force on vaccine production South Korea aims to become the world’s fifth-largest vaccine-producing nation in the next four years. President Moon Jae-in said South Korea aims to become the world’s fifth-largest vaccine-producing nation in the next four years. Moon has pledged to designate vaccine development as one of the nation’s three strategic technology areas, along with those of semiconductors and batteries, and invest 2.2 trillion won (US$1.92 billion) in the next five years (read the full story here).
Furthermore, according to Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, South Korea will present a new concept for trade in five important sectors, including pharmaceuticals. Korea will provide the necessary support to companies producing vaccines to enter the global vaccine supply and establish bases in countries where major vaccine producers are located. The country will seek to reduce tariffs on vaccines through partnership with World Trade Organisation member countries (read the full story here).
Trade secrecy and COVID-19
In this working paper, Innovation Council’s Mark Schultz and his colleagues analyse how trade secrets and other IPRs underpin innovation and manufacturing of Covid-19 Vaccines. They document that innovators already are sharing secrets and know-how widely with dozens of partners across the world to produce vaccine and therapeutic doses as quickly as possible. In several instances, they are working closely with their biggest competitors, thanks to the security provided by trade secrecy and other IP laws.
The authors conclude that forcing the disclosure of trade secrets would get in the way of manufacturing badly needed doses of Covid-19 vaccines by undermining voluntary arrangements and diverting resources from where they are needed most.