The digital transformation leads to an increased complexity in the IP field with more and more patent applications and increased competition in new technologies due to new digital competitors in traditional industries. These new challenges can only be tackled with solid IP management and the implementation of an IP management system within a company. The newly published DIN 77006 is a German standard in quality in IP management which helps IP practitioners to establish a state-of-the-art IP management system. An introduction into the core principles of the standard was given by Prof. Dr. Alexander Wurzer, CEIPI, on 14th October in the FICPI-Webinar “The new German Standard DIN 77006”.

The main difference and challenge through digitalization arises through the fact, that digital inventions and also digital patents are different. Those patents are not focused on the technological aspects of the invention, but on the practical implementation of the patent. This means, that a very concrete use case, solution or application is protected by the patent. By such a use of IP whole business models and use cases can be made exclusive to a company which leads to a competitive advantage in a differentiation competition. From a defensive perspective this also leads to new risks regarding the freedom to operate (FTO) of new developed products. New digital competitors might have already stacked their claims with IP and the complexity of the competition makes an FTO analysis increasingly complicated. Therefore, a standardized IP risk management like it is defined by the DIN 77006 is a must for digital inventions.


Practically, IP management according to the DIN 77006 standard can be integrated into a company along the existing management systems of a company, like safety and environmental standards, since it is part of the DIN ISO 9001 family. Also, the integration of the standard look different for every organization depending on its individual structure. Nevertheless, some points have to be addressed in every organization, e.g. the promotion of an IP culture, provision of sufficient resources, the introduction of an IP policy that is consistent with the overall strategic goals and the integration of IP processes.

The main IP processes described by the DIN 77006 are IP strategy, IP risk management, IP awareness, IP generation, IP administration, IP enforcement, IP defense, IP transactions, and IP reporting. Those processes are continuously improved according to the PDCA cycle, which consist of four steps called: Plan, do check, and act. More information about the PDCA cycle and also the practical integration of IP management is available in the Certified University courses about “Integrated IP and innovation management”.

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