Patents in the service industries : final report / Knut Blind.

Patents in the service industries : final report / Knut Blind.

190 pages ; [28] cm.

9289448369
9789289448369

G 22 BLI.P

The final report of a European Commission Community Research project. Preface: Services have received relatively little attention from analysts of innovation until quite recently, partly because they were assumed to be much less innovative compared to the manufacturing sector, and partly owing to difficulties concerning the definition and identification of R&D in service companies. While this is changing, one area where more still needs to be understood relates to the protection of innovations in the service industries. As for the production industries, protection is important if service companies are to achieve a sufficient return on their investment in innovative activities. This study addresses the use of formal intellectual property rights (IPR), especially patents, in the service sector, and examines their importance in relation to the 'innovation process' in different service industries.

EUR / European Commission ; 20815.

Luxembourg : Office For Official Publications Of The European Communities, 2004.

eng