The Role Of IP Management In Product Development

The extent of in-house IP expertise in a company can vary depending on factors such as the company's industry, size, and extent of R&D.  Every innovative organization that makes patentable inventions should have at least one person designated to ensure that the inventions are identified and protected.  That person can also consider freedom-to-operate factors.  This article will call that role the “IP professional”, but that person is not necessarily a dedicated patent agent.  The role could reside with an engineer, scientist, or another person whose role is only partly to manage IP.  The IP professional works with a variety of departments within the company and gets involved in the product development from early stages of inventing process. This article discusses the key factors for the IP professional to consider throughout the various stages of the product development cycle.