... 10.12.2014 Lego Group is the worlds’ fourth largest toy manufacturer. Their core product is a construction play design which allows for bricks to interlock together to design pre-designed or unique creations. In terms of volume and precision, the company relays on their core competence of “high volume precision molding” and has developed further strategies and technologies to ensure their growth and success in the area. The company is therefore faced with the difficulty in deciding how to protect this internal process and technology. Should this information be patented, kept as a trade secret, or published? This paper explores the options and proposes a possible solution for Lego Group, through careful research and analysis. Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Main Body 3. Conclusion 4 Bibliography Who is Lego Group? Lego Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kritiansen in Billund, Denmark. In the beginning Lego Group made wooden toys and later (1946) changed their production to plastic interlinking building bricks after purchasing their first Plastic Moulding Machine. Lego group states that the “brick is their most important product” and although they have continued their almost 100 year expansion their core product remains to be their brick. In 1958 their “stud-and tube” coupling system was patented and by 2007 they managed to create a set for the Star Wars franchise of a model of the...
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...Summary University Patents seeks to transfer technology from research universities to preexisting companies via the licensing of patents. Most universities have an office of technology transfer that is responsible for bringing the research/patents generated by the university to market. Some universities are very effective in this area (i.e., Stanford, U of Wisconsin, MIT), but most lack the work force and network to place most patents. Universities traditionally focus on the patents that will bring in substantial amounts of money, yet only 0.6% of licenses generate in excess of $1,000,000 in annual royalties. University Patents has the ability to not only assist the universities in placing technology but, due to the singular focus of the company, also increase the revenue to the university by increasing the number of licenses written. University Patents will generate income by taking a commission off each successful placement. Most patents generated by university research are not, by themselves, able to sustain a business. They are most valuable to existing companies already in a market that can use new technology to increase a product line or slightly diversify their business into a market in which they have an expertise. The small size of these patents mean that most Venture Capital (VC) firms are not interested in these patents and the universities are reluctant to spend time trying to place them. University Patents will be able to focus on these smaller patents and the business...
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...INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, AHMEDABAD For requirements of the course Written Analysis and Communication - I (2011-13) Dr. Narendran’s Dilemma Submitted to: Name of instructor: Prof Asha Kaul Name of Academic Associate: Shilpa Sawant Submitted by: S.G.Shrinivas Section A Date of Submission: 2nd July 2011 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL From S G Shrinivas, Student, WIMWI To Dr. Narendran Director, Indian Medicine (Siddha) College Chennai Respected Sir, Subject: Dr. Ramkumar’s request to IMC to apply for a patent This is with reference to the earlier interactions between us regarding Dr. Ramkumar’s research. Please find along with my report on the same, consisting of an analysis of the situation, the various options available to you and my evaluation of the options. My recommendation would be to go ahead with the patent, by selling it to a third party for a one-time licensing fee. Regards S G Shrinivas EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Dr. Ramkumar wants to apply for a patent for his research on a cost-effective Siddha product for coronary atherosclerosis. A decision, whether to go ahead with the request, will have to be made, as this could have long standing implications for both Siddha and the institute. Among the options available for patenting the product - One-time licensing fee or leaving the manufacturing to a pharmaceutical unit or selling it on a royalty basis - the first option seems to be the most beneficial, on the basis of evaluation...
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...09/13/11 TM583 Case Analysis 2 - Research in Motion - RIM 1. What were some of the challenges that RIM faced to protect its intellectual property, and how did RIM handle those challenges? Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. There are multiple examples of the challenges RIM faced to protect its Intellectual Property as well as how those challenges were handled. One such example is RIM vs Glenayre Technologies, Inc. This claim, a response to an earlier suit brought forth by Glenayre, insisted that Glenayre blatantly imitated BlackBerry technology and marketing. Later in 2001, Glenayre's initial 1999 patent suit against RIM was dismissed. In early 2002 RIM and Glenayre agreed to drop their remaining lawsuits and work together to develop a wireless e-mail device that would incorporate Glenayre's messaging software. During this same time, RIM also obtained a U.S. patent called the BlackBerry Single Mailbox Integration patent, which covered technology that gave users the ability to have a single e-mail address on both wireless and desktop systems (http://www.answers.com/topic/research-in-motion-ltd-usa). The patent applied to the system and method that RIM pioneered for redirecting information between a host computer system and a mobile communications device. Another instance in which RIM was forced to protect its Intellectual Property is RIM...
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...Problem Definition Should Rich Kender recommend licensing Davanrik, making Merck & Company responsible for its manufacture and its marketing? In order to provide Rich Kender with a good and thorough analysis and recommendation on the Davanrik licensing project, we need to answer the following guidance questions: I. How has Merck been able to achieve substantial returns to capital given the large costs and lengthy time to develop drugs? II. How much should they pay? III. What is the expected value of the licensing arrangement to LAB? IV. How would our analysis change if the costs of launching Davanrik for weight loss were $225 million instead of $100 million? In our analysis we will build a decision tree that shows the cash flows and probabilities at all stages of the FDA approval process. We will assume a royalty fee of 5% on the cash flows that Merck receives from Davanrik after successful launch. Analysis Merck is in the business of developing compounds for pharmaceutical compounds. The required research and development efforts preceding the launch of a successful blockbuster drug is extensive and lengthy process and is therefore a very expensive one. Nevertheless, Merck has proven perfectly capable to achieve high returns on capital. This is a result of numerous factors. First of all, Merck has been able to generate tremendous amounts of sales. Since 1995, Merck has launched 15 new products, resulting in 1999 sales of $32.7 billion, which...
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...Problem Definition Should Rich Kender recommend licensing Davanrik, making Merck & Company responsible for its manufacture and its marketing? In order to provide Rich Kender with a good and thorough analysis and recommendation on the Davanrik licensing project, we need to answer the following guidance questions: I. How has Merck been able to achieve substantial returns to capital given the large costs and lengthy time to develop drugs? II. How much should they pay? III. What is the expected value of the licensing arrangement to LAB? IV. How would our analysis change if the costs of launching Davanrik for weight loss were $225 million instead of $100 million? In our analysis we will build a decision tree that shows the cash flows and probabilities at all stages of the FDA approval process. We will assume a royalty fee of 5% on the cash flows that Merck receives from Davanrik after successful launch. Analysis Merck is in the business of developing compounds for pharmaceutical compounds. The required research and development efforts preceding the launch of a successful blockbuster drug is extensive and lengthy process and is therefore a very expensive one. Nevertheless, Merck has proven perfectly capable to achieve high returns on capital. This is a result of numerous factors. First of all, Merck has been able to generate tremendous amounts of sales. Since 1995, Merck has launched 15 new products, resulting in 1999 sales of $32.7 billion, which includes $15.2 billion...
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...competitive environment, this never would have been sustained without the implementation of an IP strategy that took into account the business strategy, competitors’ patenting strategies, the product value chain, and providing a closecoupling of actionable IP strategy to the R&D staff. Previously, as is common in many companies, the IP strategy was basically a legal strategy for obtaining patents. Dow’s attorneys were very good at getting patents granted. However, the disclosing of inventions was left to the initiative of the inventors who were often too busy with their projects to document their inventions. The “Inventor-of-the–Year” Award went to the inventor who received the most U.S. patents in the previous year. Quantity was being rewarded rather than IP value to the business. Many patents of questionable value were obtained. The IP strategy was not linked to the business strategy and there were no processes to implement a business-aligned IP strategy even had there been one. Evaluating the company’s large IP portfolio in the mid-1990s led to the abandonment of 25% of the patents as not related to any business in Dow! Abandoning these...
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...This paper aims to explore the significance of intellectual property rights and to know the procedure to obtain patents in India. For that, the data and information is collected from news papers, articles, magazines, internet websites, and expert interviews. Protecting intellectual property with patents provides the exclusive rights by law to the assignees or originator to make use of and exploit their inventions. The invention which meets the novelty, non-obviousness, usefulness in the industry, enabled etc criteria’s as per Indian patent act and fulfilling patentable criteria’s...
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...Novartis V. Union of India & Others – A Landmark Judgement on Indian Patent Law & Pharmaceutical Industry: A Report The Supreme Court judement on the Novartis v. Union of India & Others is a landmark decision on the issue of pharmaceutical patent in India. The decision taken after a seven year long litigation fought by pharmaceutical major Novartis is based on a case pertaining to grant of Indian patent on a compound called Imatinib Mesylate in Beta Crystalline Form (referred as Imatinib hereinafter as convenience of brevity). The Supreme Court decided that Imatinib, the substance for which Novartis sought patent does not qualify the test of invention as laid down in section 2(1)(j), section 2(1)(ja) and the test of efficacy under section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act, 1970. The decision generated widespread discussion and debate on affordability of life saving drugs in India for public good and impact on R&D for further innovation in pharmaceutical industry. The report covers following contents. 1. Background of the Novartis Case ❖ Fact of the case ❖ Underlying legal provisions 2. Overview of patent law in India with special focus on pharmaceutical industry 3. Supreme Court Decision in Novartis Case 4. Impact of the Supreme Court Judgement ❖ On affordability of life saving drugs ❖ On innovation for future improvement and development ❖ Overall impact on pharmaceutical industry...
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...THE NEW ITALIAN PATENT BOX: FIRST EVALUATION AND COMPATIBILITY ISSUES WITH THE OECD INDICATIONS Author: Luca Marco Pappalardo Summary: 1. The new Italian Patent Box: a brief overview. - 2. Eligible assets. - 3. Eligibility requirements and determination of the relevant income: the nexus approach. - 3.1 Nexus approach and trademarks: what went wrong? - 3.2 Looking at the issue from a comparative perspective - 4. - Conclusions. 1. The 2015 Italian Stability Law, Article 1, subsections from 37 to 45, introduces an optional taxation regime for income produced by intangible assets, known as ‘Patent Box’. The regime has been subsequently modified by Article 5 of the Law Decree n. 3 of 24 January 2015. The regime allows taxpayers to exclude from their tax base a percentage of the income derived from certain intangible assets. According to the Stability Law, individual and collective entrepreneurs as well may choose to benefit from this regime, including foreign entrepreneurs having a permanent establishment in Italy and being resident in a state that has both a double tax agreement with Italy and undertakes an effective exchange of information. The election of the regime cannot be revoked and lasts for five fiscal years. The income that benefits from the exemption may originate from: 1) direct use of the intangible assets by the taxpayer; 2) allowance of use of the intangible assets given by the taxpayer to third parties; 3) transfer of ownership of the relevant assets...
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...Indeed Dippin Dots, in fact, stumbled on a haul once their patent was denied. This spread out competition from many firms such as IttiBitz, Mollicoolz, and Mini Melts and Frosty Bits, that is the company that with success challenged the Dippin' Dots patent. With the failure of obtaining the lock on this patent a lot of competition is probably going on. Another downside is that Dippin Dots is costly. For what you’d spend on a high-end tub of frozen dessert you can obtain Dippin Dots for. With redoubled competition and poor price, Dippin Dots must alter its business arrange by either lowering costs within the face of competition or manufacturing a lot of merchandise to extend revenue. I believe these forces of competition will still be relevant...
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...Social Justice Analysis Delia M. Card Frontier Nursing University Social Justice Analysis John Rawls identifies justice by two principles. The first as equal rights for every person with the same extent of liberties for all, and the second as inequalities that are shared by all for the advantage of all and freedom for anyone to hold any position (Bankston, III, 2010). The Research College of Nursing (2009) further accepts social justice as “fair treatment regardless of economic status, ethnicity, age, citizenship, disability, or sexual orientation.” These both sound much like the first truth in the Declaration of Independence; “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (ushistory.org., 2013). However, social injustice in America and around the globe is an ever present problem. I have personally witnessed in the hospital setting how the less fortunate are treated with disrespect and many times disregard. Social justice looks great on paper but will it ever be a reality? According to the mission statement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) (2013), the WTO primary purpose is to assist world trade flow with minimal undesirable side effects. The WTO is responsible for monitoring international trade contracts to keep such trade within specified limits (World Trade Organization, 2013). Between 1986 – 1994 the WTO established the Trade Related Aspects...
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...individuals within that business have to determine whether or not they will follow that code of ethics. Ethical behavior in business is consistent with the principles, norms, and standards of business practice that have been agreed upon by society. At times, however, an individual decides to go against the code of ethical behavior for personal gain. The term patent usually refers to an exclusive right granted to anyone who invents any new, useful, and non-obvious process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, and claims that right in a formal patent application. The additional qualification utility patent is used in the United States to distinguish it from other types of patents (e.g. design patents) but should not be confused with utility models granted by other countries. Examples of particular species of patents for inventions include biological patents, business method patents, chemical patents and software patents. Some other types of intellectual property rights are referred to as patents in some jurisdictions: industrial design rights are called design patents in some...
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...the firm improve its capability to design better products in the future? Product Platform Strategies Benefits: Simplify product strategies, enables management concentrate on the key decisions Rapid and consistent product development Increases operational efficiencies significantly Helps the management anticipate need for platform changes For Market Pull Products: Product Development Process PRODUCT PLANNING 1. Identify opportunity (product ideas) 2. Evaluate& prioritize the opportunities considering 3. Allocate resources 4. Plan activities CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT Identify Customer Needs: Collect data, Evaluate interpret data Establish Specification: Link metrics to needs Create alternative concept Perform feasibility analysis Build and test prototypes Select the concept Decide trade-offs Decide the final specification QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT (QFD) A structured process to identify and carry the needs and desires of customer through each stage of product and service design BENEFITS Integration the activities and department Prioritizing of characteristics Benchmarking the competitors,,, Shorten the design period Determine customer demands (desired functional characteristics) Ask customer to rate the importance of these demands Ask customer how much your current products and competitors’ products meets these demands. Plan your customer...
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...1990s and has several trademarks, copyrights, and utility and design patents for the Quilted Diamond Design.In 2008, Kimberly-Clark redesigned two of its brands, Cottonelle Ultra and Scott Kimberly-Clark Professional, using a quilted pattern that Georgia-Pacific believes to be very similar to its Quilted Diamond Design. Georgia-Pacific claimed unfair competition and trademark infringement under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1051 et seq. and filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Kimberly-Clark filed a Motion for Summary Judgment claiming the design was functional and could not be protected. Virginia M. Kendall, the presiding judge, agreed and granted summary judgment in favor of Kimberly-Clark. Issue: Can Georgia-Pacific hold utility patents, which detail functionality of design, and still have the protection of a registered trademark for its “Quilted Diamond Design”? Rule: Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1052 (e)(5) - No trademark by which the goods of the applicant may be distinguished from the goods of others shall be refused registration on the principal register on account of its nature unless it consists of a mark which comprises any matter that, as a whole, is functional. Analysis: The court looked at five factors to determine functionality: 1. Existence of a utility patent that describes functionality of design. Georgia-Pacific had 5 current utility patents that described the functionality of the Quilted Diamond Design. 2...
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