The Danish Startup Ecosystem Guide - Magasin - Side 43
Sponsored: This article is published in collaboration with Danish Patent and Trademark Office
Design, trademark and patent:
IP rights boost turnover
Every entrepreneur should look into
what intellectual property rights can
do for them. And the experts at the
Danish Patent and Trademark Office
are ready to help.
As a new entrepreneur, there are 1,000
things to consider, and intellectual property rights (IP) such as patents, trademarks and designs are rarely at the top of
the list. But maybe they should be.
Rune Bjørn
Lorentzen
Head of Unit for
National Policy at
the Danish Patent
and Trademark
Office
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Companies with at least one patent,
registered design or trademark generate
on average 20% more revenue per employee compared to companies that do
not own IP rights.
“The most important thing is for entrepreneurs to realize that IP rights exist
and can affect their business. You can
use them to protect an idea from competitors or to attract investors. But it’s
also about being careful not to infringe
the rights of others,” says Rune Bjørn
Lorentzen, Head of Unit for National
Policy at the Danish Patent and Trademark Office.
Why you should consider IP
It can be difficult to know which rights are
relevant. That is why the Danish Patent
and Trademark Office is organizing a se-
ries of webinars for entrepreneurs to give
a basic introduction to the different types
of rights. The Patent and Trademark Office
also has customer service consultants who
provide free and non-binding guidance.
“There may be obstacles in the process.
Both financially, but also in terms of how
to access knowledge in an easy way when
you need it. We help to reduce these barriers,” says Rune Bjørn Lorentzen.
If you find out that you can use IP rights,
it requires subsequent strategic work to
make them value-creating. For example,
you should consider whether they should
be used to find partners, in communication with customers or towards investors.
“It’s a journey. You have to start by
finding out that IP exists. Once you know
that, you have to find out what it means
for the company. Only then, you can start
using the rights to create value,” says Rune
Lorentzen and adds:
“IP rights are not relevant for everyone,
but you should consider the possibility
of protection. The website of the Danish Patent and Trademark Office is a
good place to start. Here you can, for
example, take a rights test, get general
information on price and process, and be
inspired by others who have used rights
in their business.”
What does the ecosystem say?
Stine Mølgaard
Sørensen
Co-founder of
Radiobotics and
investor
Don’t wait for others to protect your idea
before you. Have a structured approach to IP
rights and show that you are serious about your
business.«
Find help getting started with IP rights:
www.dkpto.dk
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