Abstract
Patent information can provide a growing competitiveness through the technology transfer it fosters, and be economically important because of the innovation it leverages. Organizations are not monetizing their potential related to the use of patent information that could encourage more innovation and the largest number of patent applications, resulting in more businesses and greater economic growth. This chapter sustains that a coherent and effective use of patent information, containing information from research and development (R&D) activities with industrial application, can contribute to solving problems, fostering innovation through the resulting products and processes. Sustainable solutions can be realized, using unexploited inventions, as by the formulation of new products based on R&D that can be adapted to new global needs, creating jobs and protecting the environment and its resources.
TopAdvantages Of Patents For Developing Countries
Sherwood says that “the protection of innovation has been the yeast of the economic development of many countries.” This can be seen because “countries with advanced economies tend to be those who have property protection systems in which the public deposits a certain degree of confidence” (1992, p. 11).
With this, it warns us that we need to adopt effective measures of intellectual property (IP) protection in all its aspects (patents, brands, utility models, designs, etc.), at the risk of the developing countries watch escape to other countries its greatest asset, the Intellectual Capital, because not having the means to protect their inventions in their own countries make inventors seek other countries where they can get its protection, making the resultant wealth grow in those countries, and not in their own where it was most needed.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Serendipity: Serendipity is the ability to make important discoveries by accident. Not all the ideas for new products or processes appear voluntarily and intentionally. Sometimes a mixture of luck and preparation provides valuable discoveries. A serendipitous discovery results from the combination of a happy coincidence with perspicacity.
Invention: The creation or discovery of a new idea, including the concept, design, model creation or improvement of a particular piece, product or system. Even though an invention may allow a patent application, in most cases it will not give rise to an innovation.
Innovation: The application of new knowledge, resulting in new products, processes or services or significant improvements in some of its attributes. When a new solution is brought to the market to solve a problem in a new or better way than the existent solutions.
Sustainability: The ability of producing goods and conduct business without exhausting nature’s resources and polluting the environment or, if not totally possible, do the less harm and take measures to compensate the harm done. Can also be used to designate the ability of an organization of being capable of maintain itself on operation, generating profits and doing the best that it can for every stakeholder and shareholder.
Patent Information: During the process of registration and grant of a patent, the official entities like the USPTO, EPO or WIPO, will generate one or more legal documents that are called patent literature. These documents contain information that is referred to as patent information.
Creativity: Creativity is based on reasoning that produces imaginative new ideas and new ways of looking at reality. Creativity is an individual process, arises from the idea that popped into someone's head. Relates facts or ideas without previous relationship and is discontinuous and divergent. No Creative Process exists if there is no intention or purpose. The essence of the Creative Process is to seek new combinations.