'20 Issues on Intellectual Property' launched
2 Jun 2011
IP Australia has teamed up with the Institute of Chartered Accountants to produce the fourth installment of their Business Briefing Series: 20 Issues on Intellectual Property.
The publication has been created to help Chartered Accountants understand some of the IP issues faced by Australian businesses.
Chartered Accountants are well placed to raise the issue of IP with their clients at critical points in a business's life cycle such as creation; expansion; and winding down sale. IP is an important and real consideration for most businesses and Chartered Accountants will play a strategic role in building IP awareness and understanding.
The objective of the initiative is to provide Chartered Accountants with a tool that enables them to understand the importance of IP to them and their clients. Armed with this information they will then be encouraged to refer their clients to IP Australia, an attorney or other IP professional.
The publication addresses four themes:
- Management of IP
- Commercialisation
- Financial aspects relating to IP
- Emerging IP issues
The Institute's Manager of Chartered Accountants in Business, Karen McWilliams, says while IP has been a business imperative for some time, its influence on financial performance and branding has gathered momentum in recent years.
"Large and small organisations are recognising the value of IP assets such as their brand and innovations, and the importance of managing and protecting these assets just as they would physical and financial assets.
"Managing their IP enables organisations to expand with confidence, attract investment and reap the full value of their hard work. The launch of this briefing paper is a significant step in educating Australia's 1.93 million active small businesses on the significance of IP," she says.
Mike Conway, Managing Director of the Wiggles Pty Ltd, helped launch the publication at a recent Institute event in Sydney.
He attributes the success of the Wiggles' brand to a strict IP management regime. The Wiggles franchise and sub brands like Dorothy the Dinosaur are important examples of what IP can do for a business.
Mike commented, "From my perspective, it's important for us to protect the integrity of our brand and ensure that people do not take advantage of it. We do this by identifying, protecting and managing our intellectual property like trade marks and copyright and reviewing our IP on a weekly basis."
Further information and a copy of 20 Issues on Intellectual Property can be found at here.
Last Updated: 29/11/2012
