1. Christian W. Appelt German and European Patent and Trademark Attorney
IP in International Business -Patents as Tool for Economic Success- WIPO – Italy International Symposium on IP Competitiveness of SMEs in Textile Sectors December 1, 2005
Christian W. Appelt
German and European Patent and Trademark Attorney

2. What is IP – Why do we need IPRs?
Intellectual Property / Immaterial Goods
No „physical entity“ („idea“)
Realizable / easy to copy/multiply
Value when multiplied? (rises/falls)
Aggregate Value added (by whom?)
Amendments possible
control?
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3. Patents in Force (Source: EPO – Trilateral Web Site)
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4. Worldwide Patent Activities (Source: EPO – Trilateral Web Site)
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5. Major Effects of Patents
Patents control a product or market segment
Patents disclose knowledge to public
Patenting requires “money”
Costs for application and prosecution
Renewal fees
To patent or not to patent???
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6. Criteria for IP decision - market
Factor “time”
Patent prosecution 2-4 years
Patent enforcement 1-2 years (longer?)
Market/competitor situation
“behavior” of competitors
Possibilities for cooperation
Possibilities for “other products”, circumventing scope of protection
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7. Criteria for IP decision - procedural
Legal (Patent Law)
Publication after 18 months
Possibly patenting by competitor
Technological aspects
Technical advantage
Possibilities for keeping secret
Technical alternatives
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8. Criteria for IP decision - financial
Costs for a patent
European Patent: EUR to , depending on no. of designated countries
National Patent: EUR to
Renewal Fees
Costs for enforcement/litigation (national)
Depending on country (DE ↔ US)
Cost “risk” DE: EUR to
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9. Defensive/passive Strategies
Keeping secret
Non-disclosure of technical knowledge
Due Diligence
Search and evaluation of IPRs of Third Parties
Publication (“Secret” Publication)
Preventing patents of Third Parties
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10. Active Strategies Application strategy
Which technology where to patent ?
Market
Place of business of competitor
Enforcement systems (legal, time, costs)
Enforcement Strategies
Litigation / Monopoly
Cooperative strategies
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11. Application Strategies
Application of “basic patents”
Patents with broad scope of protection
Already very few (single) patents effective
However, often not possible (in “third hands”)
Application of “enhancement”
Smaller scope of protection→ more patents necessary
“holes” in protection of basic patent by alternative solution
Stopping further enhancement of basic product
Dependent patents → cross licensing
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12. Basic Technology vs. Further Enhancement
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13. Patent or Know How ?
Can invention be kept secret for “absolute reasons“?
Can invention be kept secret for “relative reasons“?
Persons involved internally
External cooperation
Secrecy agreement
“Secret“ publication
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14. Advantages of IPRs (Patents)
Protection of own business
Control of own Technology (Start Ups, SMEs)
Freedom to market (!!)
Access to external Technology
Currency: “technology”
Licensing (and Technology Transfer TT)
Medium term goals
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15. IPR – Generating Process
State of Art / Problems / Searches
R&D, Manufacturing, Ideas, …
„Finalization“ of an invention?
Confidentiality Agreements / no publication/use
Early Filing of 1st application
delay of further costs (foreign filings, EP, PCT,…)?
First protect, then make business! (or “Know How” ?)
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16. Who owns your local market? (Source: EPO – Trilateral Web Site)
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17. „Textile EP-Activies”
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18. Further Questions ? Christian W. Appelt Appelt@Boehmert.de
Contact me at:
Christian W. Appelt
Boehmert & Boehmert
Pettenkoferstr
D Munich
Germany
Tel.: + 49 – 89 –
Fax: + 49 – 89 –
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