China has emerged as a pivotal player in the global intellectual property (IP) landscape and international trade. In recent years, the country has made significant strides in IP protection, innovation, and economic growth. China’s rise to become the world’s largest patent filer and its consistent top ranking in international patent applications through WIPO underscore its growing importance in the IP realm.

The World Intellectual Property Organization together with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) held a comprehensive training on IP management and IP commercialization at the China IP Training Center (CIPTC) from December 9-13, 2024. I was there to teach with speakers and examples from Tencent, Huawei and Alibaba together with Professor Chen Lei, Vice Dean School of Public Finance and Taxation, Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB). Present were representatives of institutions, patent examiners and a large number of company representatives, local IP experts and especially patent attorneys.

As the world’s second-largest economy, China has also solidified its position as a crucial market and trading partner for many countries. ASEAN has become China’s largest trading partner, with a total trade value of RMB 5.67 trillion in the first 10 months of 2024, reflecting an 8.8 percent growth. The country’s export performance has been particularly strong, with high-tech sectors like integrated circuits and automobiles driving growth. Here is issue #26 of the newsletter 🎯IP Management Pulse about the latest developments in IP litigation in China:

👉 Issue #26 🎯IP Management Pulse

This presentation by Prof. Dr. Alexander J. Wurzer provides a comprehensive overview of intellectual property (IP) management strategies and their importance in the context of business innovation and digitalization. The key points covered include:

IP Strategy and Business Models

Prof. Wurzer emphasizes that IP strategy should align with a company’s overall business strategy. Different IP strategies are outlined, including:

  • Fortress monopoly: Used by large pharmaceutical companies to create market barriers
  • Value-added monopoly: Protects user-relevant features in consumer products
  • Hub monopoly: Focuses on standard-setting proprietary rights in electronics and telecommunications
  • Monopoly in-a-box: Well-defined portfolios in biotechnology and mechanical devices
  • Value chain monopoly: Collects and protects production-relevant data across supply chains

Innovation and IP Management

The presentation discusses the innovation funnel and the importance of managing product development efficiently. It introduces concepts like design thinking and the stage-gate process for innovation management. The speaker highlights the need for IP awareness throughout the innovation process. Here is episode #9 of the podcast 🎧IP Management Voice about the book “No-Excuses Innovation” by Bruce A. Vojak and Walter B. Herbst, which was cited by Prof. Wurzer in his lecture:

👉 Episode #9 🎧IP Management Voice

Quality Standards in IP Management

Two key standards are discussed:

  • DIN 77006: A German standard for integrating IP management into a company’s overall management system
  • ISO 56005: An international standard focusing on IP management within innovation processes

Here is an overview of the quality standards in IP management:

👉 https://ipbusinessacademy.org/why-are-ip-management-standards-so-important-for-companies

Digital Transformation and IP

The talk emphasized the increasing complexity of IP management due to digitalization. It presented data showing rapid growth in patent applications related to Industry 4.0 technologies. Prof. Wurzer used the example of “Light as a service” to illustrate how digital business models can be protected through various patent strategies. Find here the Case Study Light as a service with Philips Signify:

👉 https://ipbusinessacademy.org/did-they-really-patent-this-use-case-signify-the-meaning-of-light

360° IP Strategy

The presentation concluded with the concept of a 360° IP strategy, which aims to align IP management with business objectives across multiple dimensions, including:

  • Safeguarding value creation
  • Exclusifying resources
  • Skimming willingness to pay
  • Strategic positioning against competitors
  • Managing risks
  • Suppressing imitation

Here is the 360° IP strategy explained in the digital IP lexicon 🔗dIPlex:

👉 🔗dIPlex entry

Throughout the talk, Prof. Wurzer stressed the importance of adapting IP strategies to the changing business landscape, particularly in light of digital transformation and the emergence of new business models in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Here you can find the slides of the three training lectures: