According to the European Observatory of EUIPO (the European Union Intellectual Property Office), only 10% of European SMEs declare that they own intellectual property rights. This figure is relatively (and sadly) low when considering the positive aspects of owning IP rights. Indeed, the report also indicates that SMEs that own IP rights believe they have a better reputation, better protection thanks to IP and also better long-term business prospects. This matches our everyday experience in talks with SMEs.
Filing a patent, a trademark, a model or any other intellectual property right makes it possible both to guarantee a monopoly on the exploitation of a creation, but also to value it through licensing agreements, the contribution to company’s capital to increase its value etc. It is therefore possible to generate revenue from it, provided that an intellectual property and development strategy is considered consistent with the company’s overall strategy.
We therefore invite you to consult our team or that of Brandon IP, Intellectual Property Attorneys, before refusing the idea of registering your work. Moreover, the assistance of an expert often makes the subject less complex and allows a greater awareness to these practices.
Consult the Intellectual Property SME Scoreboard 2022: https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/web/observatory/sme-scoreboard
