Today, the Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation (MyIPO) and Microsoft Malaysia jointly organised a one-day seminar on “Strategic Management of Intellectual Property Assets” in Putrajaya. This was the first module of a 10-module strategic IP management programme aimed at senior government officials and policymakers to provide a guide on key aspects of intellectual property (IP) policy and asset management.
More than 150 participants from various government ministries, universities and government-linked companies attended the seminar, which was opened by Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Shafie Apdal.
The thrust of the seminar was how IP, as a value driver, could enhance a nation’s competitiveness and, therefore, needs to be managed strategically in order to tap its fullest potential. The presentations by IP professionals at the event clearly demonstrated that IP could no longer be seen as just a legal instrument but as a business asset.
Mindvault, has been battling to elevate IP to business level for some years now. So, it is a relief that at least the IP professionals are speaking the lingua franca of business now.
At the seminar, the government was urged to exploit its IP in order to generate returns and to view its IT investments as revenue and not just cost centers. Some participants felt this message was too much of a challenge as the government is not a commercial entity and has traditionally not considered exploiting its assets as a means of generating new revenue streams.
Participants who did buy into this perspective expressed concern over the “how-tos” of IP commercialisation; they lamented that there was a need for working models and practical processes to monetise these assets. Sound words, indeed.
Posted by: David Oh on 25/4/2005 3:44:00 PM