Unlike the private sector, the Public Sector has to be aware of any use it makes of its intellectual property (IP) assets and has to take into account other factors which may have long term impact. This can be complicated by the Government’s evolving role in national and industry development, and in providing outsourcing, contract and consultancy services locally and overseas.

The session will start off with an overview of the development of an internal IP management system and policy considerations that have to be taken into account at all stages from the creation of an IP asset such as in government funding of a development project, to the proper use of 3rd party IP, and the exploitation of the IP assets created. Participants will go through the construction of an IP Management Policy draft, and the operationalisation steps that follow – from ensuring staff understand & abide by the Policy, identification of IP assets owned and used by the organisation, and the common procedures and forms that make up an internal IP management system.

At the end of the session participants should be able to:

(i) Work with IP professionals to identify core and ancillary assets, and

(ii) Kick-start and support the development or review of their agency’s IP Policy and internal IP management system