IP Management Pulse #46

Your inbox-insider from Prof. Wurzer every two weeks

Hi ,

Here are the topics of this issue:
  • Awareness building for the role of IP in new business development
  • IP litigation in China
  • Misconceptions about trade secret management
  • Opt-out vs opt-in copyright policy for AI models
  • IP as basis for international technology transfer
  • Speaking & webinars: amplifying your voice
  • Trade secret management in innovation-driven companies
  • Why app icons are more than just design
  • Software patents in the automotive industry
  • Dyson’s IP-driven business model
I wish you an exciting and informative read. I look forward to your comments and our exchange on LinkedIn.
The most discussed LinkedIn post
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Awareness building for the role of IP in new business development

Some still see IP as the man pretending to stop a subway — dramatic, but irrelevant to how the business moves. Yet in reality, IP defines how far, how fast, and on whose tracks that business can go. That’s why IP professionals must not only manage rights, but also communicate how those rights shape markets and value.
Summary of the Discussion
IP can have very different functions in various business models, but it is always the enabler of business growth. This is shown in the many case studies on the platform.

The discussions below this post covered the following topics:
  • How to tell stories, which show the value of IP to non-experts
  • How can IP create trust in products and brands
  • How important is IP awareness for founders and entrepreneurs
And here are some useful and further links:
Close-up of mechanical gears and components displayed on detailed technical blueprints, symbolizing innovation in engineering and design.
Awareness Building for IP
dIPlex Glossary
Operational IP Management for Industrial Practice
The LinkedIn Overview
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IP litigation in China

New Chinese legislation is aiming to support the fight against trademark squatters. But it may cause litigation to become prohibitively expensive for small companies. More in the LinkedIn post.

👉️ To the LinkedIn post by Paolo Beconcini
And here are some useful and further links:
A close-up shot of a light blue PlayStation 4 controller with its red light bar illuminated, resting on a dark, reflective surface.
Enforcement of IP Rights in China
dIPlex Glossary
Trademark
Our Sponsor
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Misconceptions about trade secret management
Trade secrets are a useful, but also volatile type of IP. Cases such as Olaplex vs L’Oréal show how quickly things can become expensive for SMEs, when they do not master trade secret management. More in the LinkedIn post.

👉️ To the LinkedIn post by John Pryor
And here are some useful and further links:
dIPlex Glossary
Litigation of Trade Secrets
Two people preparing a meal at a campsite. A person in a beige fleece jacket sits near a green tent while opening a container, while another in a red vest cuts food on a board. A portable grill stands nearby on the rocky ground with camping dishware spread on a blanket beneath them.
Protecting Trade Secrets in the Talent War: Lessons from Apple vs Rivos
Our Sponsor
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Opt-out vs opt-in copyright policy for AI models
With the launch of their new video model Sora 2, OpenAI introduced a novel policy for copyright holders. Instead of actively allowing the use of their material for AI model training, the rights holders are asked to opt out of it. More in the LinkedIn post.

👉️ To the LinkedIn post by Masaki Kataoka
And here are some useful and further links:
Copyrights on Social Media
A modern highway with multiple lanes, surrounded by urban buildings and infrastructure, illuminated by a sunset in the background. Overlayed icons represent smart transportation technologies and connectivity, including cars, cloud computing, GPS, battery symbols, and wireless communication, illustrating the concept of intelligent mobility and IoT integration in urban traffic systems.
Unpacking Copyrights
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IP as basis for international technology transfer
International technology transfer is a tool to support the economic growth of smaller or emerging economies. But to succeed, companies need to be skilled in using the advantages of the local IP system. More in the LinkedIn post.

👉️ To the LinkedIn post by Nguyen Hoa Binh (Bill) 阮和平
And here are some useful and further links:
How OLED Technology Transfer Created a Global Display Revolution
A supermarket shelf displaying various yogurt products, including bottles with fruit flavors such as blueberry, strawberry, and peach. The products are neatly arranged, with price tags visible above them.
Technology Transfer
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Whom to follow on LinkedIn
Alessandra (Ale Martins) Monteiro Martins is a senior consultant in Information Security, Data Privacy, and Technology Governance with working experience all over Latin America. She shares on her LinkedIn feed information about AI regulation and risk mitigation as well as cyber security for SMEs. If you do not want to miss any information about upcoming cyber security-related webinars, I suggest to follow her.
Daniel Greif is Director Southeast Asia and Senior Trademark Attorney at S&O IP with a focus on trademark law in Southeast Asia. He shows on his LinkedIn feed the developments in the various jurisdictions of the region and shares success stories of anti-counterfeiting activities. If you are active in the region, I suggest to follow him.
Resource Hub
Blue toolbox labeled “TOOLS for IP Experts – LINKEDIN ABOUT TUNER” with IPBA logo on a light blue background.
Digital marketing: LinkedIn Essentials to boost your Profile

These insights are designed for IP experts who want to make LinkedIn work for their business — not just as a résumé, but as a professional landing page. Whether you’re building your visibility, attracting clients, or simply refining your profile, this is your go-to resource to get started.
Business Development: From IP Awareness Building to Business Development

This course will equip you with skills in market intelligence gathering, identifying and analysing trends, conducting thorough client needs assessments, applying interdisciplinary knowledge, embracing continuous learning, performing economic analysis of IP, and leveraging digital literacy for IP practice.
New 🔗dIPlex entry
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Design Rights: Protecting Visual Innovation
New Podcast Episodes
at 🎧 IP Management Voice
Welcome to IP Management Voice, your podcast about Intellectual Property (IP) Management and our next big AI experiment. Listen to our latest episodes:
#59 Protecting Visual Innovation with Design Rights about Malgorzata Zyla
#60 IP Protection in the Life Sciences Industry about Christian Heubeck
Column
Speaking & webinars: amplifying your voice
By columnist Giulia Donato, Brand & Communication Consultant at people and brand strategies

Speaking engagements (whether webinars, panel discussions, or conference talks) are among the most powerful tools for IP experts to build authority and trust. When you speak, you’re not just sharing expertise. You’re shaping how people perceive you: as someone confident, informed, and willing to lead a conversation rather than just follow it.

Speaking is not a performance, it’s a dialogue. It’s a way to let others experience your expertise and to build trust through clarity, relevance, and presence.

If you see public speaking as part of your professional growth, start by asking yourself:

What’s one idea I could explain today that would make my clients or peers see my expertise in a new light?

That single idea, clearly expressed, can be the start of your most powerful branding tool yet, your voice.

Deep Dives
Could you have answered that? Cracking the CEIPI EPO MIPLM’25 Exam on trade secret management in innovation-driven companies

Task 24 of the CEIPI-EPO MIPLM’25 exam challenges candidates to explain the management of trade secrets in innovation-driven companies. The oral exam question presented to the MIPLM candidates is based on a realistic and increasingly relevant challenge: A German sensor manufacturer, SensoTrak GmbH, is developing high-performance sensing technologies that combine chemical formulations, embedded algorithms, and calibration data. While these elements are core to product differentiation and commercial success, they are either not patentable or would require disclosure that could jeopardize their competitive edge.
Why app icons are more than just design

App icons may be tiny, but they carry enormous brand significance. As the digital storefront of any application, they’re often the first and most frequent point of contact between users and brands. In this episode, Zeeger Vink and Maria Boicova-Wynants argue that app icons have evolved from aesthetic elements into core assets that deserve strategic legal protection.
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The IP world in a picture
Software patents in the automotive industry
The automotive industry experiences a dramatic shift from mechanical engineering towards digitalization. And this shift is most visible in the area of self-driving cars. Here, a critical factor next to technology readiness is customer acceptance, which is at the moment highest in emerging markets.

Protecting those new digital innovations remains challenging for traditional car manufacturers and thus becomes a field full of opportunities for startups in that sector. Read more on the dIPlex page featuring software patent expert David Perkins.
Event tips
University Diploma - Intellectual Property and Business Administration at CEIPI
Master of Intellectual Property Law and Management (MIPLM) at CEIPI
IP Management Learning
Cyclones, courts, and competitive advantage: Dyson’s IP-driven business model
James Dyson’s bagless vacuum cleaner is a landmark story in IP management. Frustrated by clogged dust bags, Dyson invented cyclonic separation and protected it with a layered patent strategy. These patents, carefully drafted for enforceability, secured investment, justified premium pricing, and enabled global expansion. Freedom-to-operate analyses minimized legal risks, while aggressive enforcement against Hoover, Vax, and Samsung demonstrated the commercial power of litigation.
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