IP Management

In April 2008 the European Commission released its “Recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities and a Code of Practice for universities and other public research organisations" (IP-Recommendation, often also referred to as “IP-Charta”). The Recommendation is the starting point for one of the five initiatives for implementing the European Research Area (ERA).

The Council of the European Union supports this initiative with a respective Council Resolution adopted in May 2008.

The – voluntary - IP-Recommendation partly addresses the Member States, and partly the universities and public research institutions (PRIs); it aims at a better socio-economic use of knowledge by an active engagement of public research organisations, especially universities, in intellectual property issues and knowledge transfer activities.

The Commission recommends that Member States should inter alia:

• ensure that all public research organisations define knowledge transfer as a strategic mission and establish and publicise policies and procedures for the management of intellectual property in line with the Commission's respective Code of Practice (Annex I of the IP-Recommendation)
• support the expansion of knowledge-transfer capacities in PRIs
• use the principles outlined in the IP-Recommendation as a basis for introducing or adapting national guidelines and legislation concerning the management of intellectual property and knowledge transfer by public research organisations
• designate a national contact point whose tasks should include the coordination of measures regarding knowledge transfer between PRIs and the private sector.

The Code of Practice (Annex I of the IP-Recommendation) is directed towards universities and other PRIs and contains general guidelines for an internal intellectual property policy, knowledge transfer activities and collaborative and contractual research.

In the IP-Recommendation, Member States are invited to inform the Commission by 15 July 2010 and every two years thereafter of measures taken on the basis of the Recommendation, as well as of their impact.

For the Austrian IP-NCP click here.

Documents

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