Research project AG/KK/153 (Research action AG)
A project entitled "The best possible policy and infrastructure for innovation" has been developed over the two-year period 2006-2008 by the Belgian Federal Government Department for Science Policy as part of its programme for "Society and the future".
This project has demonstrated the lack of cooperation and exchange of knowledge between companies on innovation. It was particularly apparent that patent licences were the exception rather than the rule. Regarding innovation, the average Belgian company was increasingly tending to get round existing patents or to target markets not covered by patents rather than to obtain a patent licence.
This situation may be explained as being particularly due to a lack of cooperation in the attitude of patent licence-holders, who are reluctant to grant licences to third-parties, and potential competitors. The under-deployment of patent licences in Belgium may also be explained by a lack of knowledge and of transparency in this field.
The under-deployment of patent licences is particularly detrimental from a macro-economic standpoint in a situation where the dynamics for growth rely partly on knowledge and innovation.
This is why it is vital to encourage the exchange of patent licences in Belgium.
The PATLICINFO project is in keeping with this objective.
The PATLICINFO project aims to gather information on the problems related to the deployment of patent licences in Belgium in order to highlight the factors hindering the exchange of patent licences between companies so as to remedy these problems with the introduction of suitable measures.
Information will be obtained by means of an online questionnaire as well as in-depth interviews. The information gathered will then be analysed in order to identify current problems limiting the deployment of patent licences in Belgium.
Additionally the PATLICINFO project has a second objective: to draft specifications for an online database integrated into a virtual platform of information on patent licences.
This database will also be a particularly useful tool for those companies which wish to grant or acquire patent licences whilst improving transparency on the market for licences and helping to satisfy the supply and demand.
PATLICINFO: Base de données en ligne pour une plate-forme virtuelle d’information relative aux licences de brevets : rapport final
Adant, Ignace - Belleflamme, Paul Bruxelles : Politique Scientifique fédérale, 2013 (SP2537)
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