Collaboration in Science and Innovation: IP Considerations

Full text: In today's highly competitive market, organizations gain competitive advantage by collaborating on innovations. However, in general, before a successful partnership can start, organizations will have to negotiate ownership and access to the intellectual property produced as a result of the joint effort. While some collaborative projects are not created to pursue commercial gains, outputs of collaboration may have commercial application. Experience shows that the framework for the collaboration should be determined through an agreement that describes the project and the future ownership, management and exploitation of the intellectual property. The attractiveness of a collaborative project is increased if such framework can be negotiated timely. It is important that the partners agree on the allocation of ownership, transfer, and access to intellectual property before the project starts. This is done to reduce uncertainties and to protect the rights of the partners. Partners should agree not only on the owners of the future intellectual property but also on the ways for subsequent commercial exploitation of the results of the collaboration. A timely negotiated and successfully finalized framework for IP ownership and management plays a key role in protecting partner investments and ensuring the successful exploitation of the results of the collaboration. (author