Cross-Border: Design Rights In Europe

This article originally appeared in IP Value 2006: Building and Enforcing Intellectual Property Value. An International Guide for the Boardroom (Jo Moore ed., 2005).

In the quest to maximise shareholder value, ensuring the proper exploitation of a company’s asset base is key. IP rights are an increasingly important and valuable aspect of a company’s assets. An effective business strategy requires that those devising and implementing it are aware of a company’s IP rights, and understand how best to harness their potential and how to protect them.

Patents and trademarks are not the only IP rights a company may have. Recent expansion and harmonisation throughout the European Community have given the design right – historically underused – far greater potential commercial value. Any company doing business within Europe, especially one bringing new products to market, should ensure it does not miss out on the potential opportunities these changes present for enhancing its IP portfolio