Managing intellectual property

Ask for help

When embarking on the road to commercial exploitation (including protection) of intellectual property, it is wise to have a guide who knows the main pitfalls and can make the way ahead faster and smoother. If at all possible, an IP expert with a background and experience in a particular field or industry relevant to the company’s interests should be brought in, but understandably this can be difficult and expensive.

The EIS offers a strategic IP advisory service to companies, provided by IP specialists with commercial experience. Our specialists help companies to take the first steps towards the strategic implementation of IP and, if necessary, to find the necessary experts in the international and/or domestic market. EIS IP consultancy is available free of charge to all companies in Estonia for up to 5 hours.

Read more: IP strategy advice in the EIS

Advice on the protection of registrable intellectual property in Estonia is also provided by the Estonian Patent Office and patent attorneys. Legal advice on IP is also available from a number of law firms.

Map intangible assets

IP audits

What cannot be measured cannot be managed. In order to be able to make informed management decisions, a manager needs to have an overview of the resources at his/her disposal and, in the case of IP, an IP audit can be carried out to gain an overview of the company’s assets.

Intellectual property audits are procedures that map the creative assets at the disposal of a company or part of a company, their sources, frameworks, risks, etc. They can also be used to identify the risks associated with the use of intellectual property. There are a number of different ways to do this.

Do it yourself

The Intangible Assets Mapping Worksheet is a tool used in the EIS to obtain a first overview of the significant intangible assets held by a company. The form is self-completed by the company, but if desired, the mapping can be carried out by our experts.

Immateriaalse vara kaardistamise tööleht (MS Excel fail)

Ask for help

If you feel you need someone to help you now, there are several ways to do it. For example, IO audits are provided by Estonian patent attorneys and some law firms. We will also be happy to help you find a suitable provider if you contact us.

A good option is also to use the EUIPO’s free IP Scan service, which is mediated by the Estonian Patent Office and carried out by. Estonian patent attorneys. Read more about the IP Scan service in the link below.

Explore intellectual property tools

In order to systematically manage the protection of corporate assets, it is necessary to understand the capabilities and limitations of the different types of IP. It is good if the whole team has the same understanding , including. management, development team, legal team, marketing, etc.. In order to speed up the harmonisation of knowledge, the following short briefing notes on the different types of IP can be consulted and circulated to the parties concerned:

Prepare for protecting IP

In order for intellectual property to be protected, it must be transformed from an abstract idea into a definable, movable and, if necessary, transferable object. In order to do this, the object must be given a physical (also electronic) form.

The Invention Description Forms (below) are helpful for defining identified significant developments and other objects. Based on the descriptions provided in the forms, the enterprise can decide what is a reasonable protection strategy to adopt.

Note: as the documents below are intended for use by companies with an international market orientation, they are in English for speed and ease of reference.

Choose the right protection strategy

An effective IP strategy is based on a clearly articulated business strategy. Intellectual property is a toolbox at the service of the business, but the work is outsourced. Therefore, we recommend that you have a firm grasp of your company’s business plan and strategy before moving to intellectual property management. If you still need some advice or help with your IP strategy, we suggest you contact EIS intellectual property experts or IP experts with relevant industry experience or expertise. If necessary, EIS IO experts can help your company to find the right service providers.

Portfolio management and valuation

For larger IO portfolios, strategic choices also need to be made as to what is and is not held in the protection portfolio. One tool to help manage portfolios of up to 20 important technologies or inventions is the IP Score tool developed by the European Patent Office (EPO).

The IP Score allows to assess the relative value of each IP object included in the system and thus also to prioritise the protection expenditure and the investment of other resources.

Mitigating risks

In knowledge- and technology-intensive market sectors, there is a lot of intellectual property belonging to third parties, the infringement of which can lead to economic losses for the company or even to the closure of the entire market. In order to avoid such a situation, the company’s freedom to operate (FTO) should be assessed.

Early stages of development

In the early phases of development, it is usually sufficient to understand the general scope of freedom of action. In the early stages of the development phase, the scope of freedom of action is limited to a search of scientific and patent databases. Such competences can be, and sometimes are, usefully developed in-house (e.g. by using EIS intellectual property training service) or by outsourcing from external service providers:

• In EIS technology intelligence service we offer companies the opportunity to carry out a free initial innovation and technical level check for up to 5 working hours.
• Estonian pattent attorneys offer more in-depth searches and analyses for which you can use the EIS Innovation voucher or Development voucher

Before entering the market

Be sure to consult a specialist, such as a patent attorney, before entering national, developed markets with a new product. In order to find a suitable service provider, you can use the following methods EIS intellectual property experts help, choose an international service provider or Estonian pattent atorney. For those you can also use Innovation voucher and Development voucher.

Systemise IP management

A number of tools have been developed to help companies (and indeed all other organisations) that are engaged in innovation and/or need to manage their creative assets and development results to create effective IPR management systems. The EIS recommends that companies consult the standards and guidance materials below and, where appropriate, consult IP management and strategy experts.