What you’ll learn
- Why patents should be managed as part of corporate, innovation and technology strategy rather than as an isolated legal activity.
- Why patent strategy should begin with the business model, markets, technologies, competitors and corporate objectives.
- How formal IP rights can be combined with complementary approaches such as trade secrets, secrecy, defensive publication, speed to market, designed complexity, branding and control over complementary assets.
- Why SMEs and start-ups need a particularly disciplined approach to patent investment, portfolio development and freedom to operate.
- How to evaluate patents strategically and distinguish patent evaluation from monetary patent valuation.
- How patents can be commercialised through licensing, cross-licensing, sale, strategic alliances, joint ventures and other models.
- How patent departments can be structured and how internal teams can work effectively with external patent attorneys and service providers.
- How patent-management approaches vary significantly across industries and technologies.
- How AI, software, biotechnology, IoT and other emerging technologies create new strategic challenges for patent management.
Who is this book best for
IP managers and corporate patent professionals
Particularly valuable for professionals responsible for developing patent strategies, managing portfolios, evaluating inventions, coordinating external counsel or connecting IP activity with wider corporate objectives.
Chief IP officers, CTOs and innovation leaders
Useful for executives responsible for technology, R&D and innovation who need to understand how patents can support competitive positioning, market access and value capture.
Patent attorneys and IP consultants
A strong resource for professionals who want to understand their clients' patent decisions from a broader commercial and strategic perspective, rather than focusing only on prosecution and legal protection.
Technology and R&D managers
Especially relevant for professionals working in patent-intensive industries where innovation, product development and IP strategy need to operate as an integrated system.
Start-ups and technology-driven SMEs
The book contains dedicated discussion of the particular challenges smaller businesses face, including limited resources, portfolio prioritisation, valuation, freedom to operate and how patent strategy can support investment and growth.
MBA, innovation management and IP management students
The book combines theory, frameworks, empirical research and real corporate cases, making it particularly suitable as an advanced reference for postgraduate and executive education.
Why we selected this book
At weareip, we selected Patent Management because it addresses one of the most important shifts taking place within intellectual property: the transition from IP administration to strategic IP management.
One particularly valuable framework is the authors' view of patent management through strategy, processes, methods, structure and culture. Their argument is that successful patent management cannot be delivered by the patent department alone. It depends on how IP connects with R&D, management, product development, technology strategy and the wider organisation.
We also particularly liked the book's distinction between owning patents and having an effective protection strategy.
Finally, the second edition's treatment of generative AI makes the book particularly timely. As AI reduces the cost and time required to generate new technical solutions, the strategic bottleneck increasingly shifts from simply producing innovation towards deciding which innovation matters, how it should be protected and how its value can be captured. That makes sophisticated patent management more - not less - important.
Editorial note
Readers looking only for a basic explanation of what a patent is or how an application is filed may find considerably more detail than they need. Its real value emerges for readers who want to understand the relationship between patents, innovation, business strategy, portfolio economics and competitive positioning.
Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy a book through these links, weareip may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
