10. Knowledge Management and IP Rights

Question 1

What percentage more profit do IP intensive companies generate?

Answer 1

70%!

Question 2

Define Knowledge Management

Answer 2

• the capability of a company to create new knowledge, disseminate it throughout the organisation and embody it in products, services and systems

Question 3

Give examples (6) of different types of knowledge

Answer 3

Peoples' experience
Inventions -> Patents
Know-how
Market & Technology "intelligence"
Suppliers or Partners
Acquisitions

Question 4

Finish the sentence:

Knowledge is only ever volunteered: …

Answer 4

… it cannot be conscripted.

1/3 heuristic for sharing knowledge

Question 5

Finish the sentence:

We can always know more than we can tell, …

Answer 5

… we can always tell more than we can write.

2/3 heuristic for sharing knowledge

Question 6

Finish the sentence:

Most valuable knowledge is …

Answer 6

… only known when it is needed to be known.

3/3 heuristic for sharing knowledge

Question 7

Rank the following in order of increasing context independence and understanding:

a) Knowledge - understanding patterns
b) Wisdom - understanding principles
c) Information - understanding relations

Answer 7

1. Information - what, who, when, where
2. Knowledge - how
3. Wisdom - why

Question 8

At what stage in the innovation process should a patent be applied for?

Answer 8

Small project stage

Question 9

How many raw ideas are needed for each successful innovation?

Answer 9

3000

Question 10

What is the intellectual asset market place worth?

Answer 10

> $180bn

Question 11

With regards to people & culture, how can knowledge management be improved?

Answer 11

Well planned recruiting and hiring process.
Rich training programme.
Encouragement of risk taking.
Build-in creative time.
Value creative people.

Question 12

With regards to building & facilities, how can knowledge management be improved?

Answer 12

Design a building so that people bump into each other.
“Cherished space” for creative thinking.
Have outdoor meeting areas.
Have a coffee shop type meeting area.
Provide exercise areas indoors and outdoors.

Question 13

What are the different types of KM metric? (7)

Answer 13

Time-to-market
Innovation ROI
New products % of all
% sales protected by IP
new products GM
R&D investment as % of sales
sales revenues from licence out

Question 14

What are the different types of IP rights? (5)

Answer 14

Confidential information
Patents
Copyright
Registered designs
Registered and unregistered trade marks

Question 15

What is the key document of a patent and what does it consist of?

Answer 15

Patent specification, consists of two elements:

1. a DESCRIPTION of the invention
2. one or more CLAIMS

Question 16

Patents Act S2(1): …

Answer 16

An invention shall be taken to be new if it does not form part of the state of the art.

Question 17

Patents Act S2(2): …

Answer 17

The state of the art shall be taken to comprise all matter which has at any time before the priority date been made available to the public (whether in the UK or elsewhere) by written or oral description, by use or in any other way.

Question 18

What is included in a patent application?

Answer 18

Abstract
Definition
Claims
Drawings