The use of Intellectual Property by Small and Middle-sized enterprises

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The world of Intellectual Property
  • What is Intellectual Property?
    • Nature of Intellectual Property: knowledge and innovation assets as important basis of IP
    • Features of Intellectual Property: uncertainty, inappropriability and indivisibility
    • The determinants of investments in Intellectual assets: Technology-push and Demand-pull
    • What are Intellectual Property Rights?
  • An analysis of IP rights from the economic perspective: Resource-based view
  • The importance of IP protection to the firm
• Introduction to SME
  • Characteristics and classification of SME
  • The role of SMEs in the economy
• Small and middle-sized enterprises in IP System
  • Innovation in the SME world
    • Strengths and weaknesses of SMEs in innovation process
    • Intellectual assets of SMEs: key influences on the innovative potential of SMEs
    • Pattern of innovation in SMEs
  • Formal and informal mechanisms used by SMEs
    • Formal protecting instruments
    • Informal IP rights
  • Reasons for using formal IP rights by SMEs
  • Perceived and real barriers faced by SMEs in exploitation of IP rights
  • Combination of IP right instruments
• Toward good practices
  • Case studies on SMEs in IP system
  • Recommendations for SME
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the role of Small and Middle-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Intellectual Property (IP) system. Specifically, the paper explores how SMEs manage their IP and whether their size disadvantages them in the use of IP rights. The paper examines different strategies for IP protection, including both formal and informal methods, and identifies the challenges SMEs face in exploiting IP rights.

• The importance of Intellectual Property (IP) in a knowledge-based economy
• The role and characteristics of SMEs in economic development
• The strengths and weaknesses of SMEs in innovation processes
• Formal and informal mechanisms used by SMEs for IP protection
• Barriers faced by SMEs in utilizing IP rights

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides an overview of the growing importance of IP in a knowledge-based economy, highlighting the crucial role of SMEs in driving economic growth. It also emphasizes the significance of understanding how SMEs manage their IP, considering that existing studies have primarily focused on large firms and patenting activity.

Chapter 1 delves into the concept of Intellectual Property, exploring its nature, features, and economic implications. It defines IP rights and examines their significance for firms from a resource-based view perspective.

Chapter 2 introduces SMEs, discussing their characteristics, classification, and their prominent role in the economy. It explores the vital contribution of SMEs to economic development, particularly in terms of employment, innovation, and GDP.

Chapter 3 focuses on the performance of SMEs in the innovation process and their position within the IP system. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of SMEs in innovation, analyzes the influence of intellectual assets on their innovative potential, and explores the patterns of innovation observed within this sector.

Chapter 4 delves into both formal and informal mechanisms employed by SMEs for IP protection. It examines different formal protecting instruments, as well as informal methods, and explores the reasons behind SMEs' decisions to use formal IP rights. The chapter also investigates the perceived and real barriers SMEs encounter in exploiting IP rights.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of this thesis are: Intellectual Property, Small and Middle-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Innovation, IP management, formal and informal IP protection mechanisms, barriers to IP exploitation, competitive advantage, knowledge-based economy, resource-based view, and the role of SMEs in economic development.