Report of the IP Commercialization Committee
J. Lessard (GB)
IP Commercialization Training Survey Results
The IP Commercialization Committee (IPCC) is tasked with considering and dealing with all questions pertaining to, or connected with, IP commercialization. One of the working groups of the IPCC is focusing on providing European Patent Attorneys (EPAs) with the knowledge required to help their clients understand and leverage the benefits of the IP rights that we help them secure.
In order to assess the appetite for such training, and the areas of particular interest, the IPCC launched a survey in January that sought the views of EPAs. The level of interest was very encouraging, with over 90% of the 668 respondents confirming that such training is of interest.
The interest in the proposed topics was also fairly evenly split, as illustrated in the graph below.
Most of the respondents preferred 2 hours of training for each topic, although 4 hours was the second most favoured duration. This suggests that there is wide interest for basic training in these topics, and healthy interest for training that is more comprehensive in nature.
Most of the subtopics listed attracted similar levels of interest, but with clear favourites including valuation methods, practical licensing and patent evaluation examples. Enforcement and competition law considerations and assessing patent strength were also popular, whereas open innovation and mock licensing examples were less popular.
The IPCC is now in the process of considering these results, and will seek independent experts for delivering the training sessions. Several of the comments expressed a strong desire for the training to be intensive and delivered by individuals with extensive practical experience.
At this stage, the Committee is investigating the feasibility of a 2 hour webinar for each topic, as part of a first tranche of training. The plan is to evolve the training based on feedback and interest in specific areas covered by the first webinars.
