|
|
🎯 IP Management Pulse #55
|
Your inbox-insider from Prof. Wurzer every two weeks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here are the hot topics from 12. February 2026 - 25. February 2026
|
|
|
|
NEWS
|
IP as a Way Out of the Role as an Outsourcing Centre | Celebrities’ Growing Brand Empires | Platform Patents in Biotech: The Strategic Value of Fundamental mRNA patents | Economic Development Through International Technology Transfer in the Philippines
|
|
|
|
RESOURCES
|
The Email Course Business Development | How to use the IPBA Connect Platform as an IP expert
|
|
|
|
DEEP DIVES
|
The difference between influence and overreach | Why business models and IP strategy must be designed together | Litigation and Protection of Trade Secrets
|
|
|
|
IP MANAGEMENT LEARNINGS
|
Multi Layer IP in Toys and Entertainment: Lessons from Mattel and Barbie
|
|
|
|
|
|
🤗 🍵 I wish you an exciting and informative read. I look forward to your comments and our exchange on LinkedIn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IP as a Way Out of the Role as an Outsourcing Centre
Traditionally, many emerging economies fuel their economic growth by serving as an outsourcing centre for more developed countries. While this can be very lucrative, it also creates dependencies and risks. A current example is the effect of AI on India's IT sector. Therefore, calls are growing louder that India should change its focus towards creating their own AI-based platforms and offerings and protect them thoroughly with IP as an alternative to the current economic model. This means that IP is increasingly seen as a key tool to get more control over one’s own economic growth perspective, mitigating economic risks on a national level.
|
What IP experts can learn from it
|
For IP experts, the lesson is that outsourcing-driven economic structures often hinder the utilization of innovation potential. IP consultancy should focus on raising awareness about the protection of products and services and the identification of how operational know-how and process innovations can form the basis for innovation. This requires aligning patents, trade secrets, and processes with long-term business goals. In this context, IP advice becomes a lever for strategic independence and sustainable value creation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Background information on the IPBA Connect platform
|
|
|
|
IP-Driven Business Model in the 🔎IP Management Glossary
|
|
|
|
|
|
Celebrities’ Growing Brand Empires
Celebrities are increasingly active in protecting their own brand with trademarks. In many cases, this protection aims to prevent the sales of knock-off merchandize and other collectibles to fans. The current news of Cathay Home Inc, a home textiles manufacturer, abandoning its application for the "Swift Home" trademark due to alleged similarities with a trademark owned by celebrity Taylor Swift shows that the influence of celebrity trademarks now also affects other sectors.
|
What IP experts can learn from it
|
For IP experts, the key insight is that personal brands are no longer limited to their original industry context. Trademark portfolios built around celebrities increasingly function as cross-sector control instruments with significant enforcement power. IP consultancy work must therefore anticipate the effects of trademarks across seemingly unrelated product categories and assess IP risks early. Strategic trademark clearance and portfolio expansion become essential tools in markets where brand power extends far beyond core goods or services.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Background information on the IPBA Connect platform
|
|
|
|
Trade Secrets, Patents & Trademarks in the US on the digital IP lexicon 🧭dIPlex
|
|
|
|
|
|
Platform Patents in Biotech: The Strategic Value of Fundamental mRNA patents
While the vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 have left the collective memory of the world, the battle over the patented technologies continues. A current case between BioNTech and Moderna shows why those patents are so economically important. The key is that they are not protecting a technology that is only relevant for a single vaccine. The patents in question are covering the possibility to produce effective vaccines with smaller doses. This reflects a growing trend in biotech, where increasingly platforms are protected rather than just single formulations.
|
What IP experts can learn from it
|
For IP experts, the central lesson is the growing strategic importance of platform patents over product-specific protection. IP consultancy work must focus on identifying those foundational technologies that enable applications in many cases, not just for an individual end product. This requires foresight regarding future therapeutic fields and monitoring of the patent landscape. Patent portfolio strategies should prioritise such scalable core inventions that create long-term licensing leverage, competitive barriers, and negotiation power across multiple products.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Background information on the IPBA Connect platform
|
|
|
|
IP Protection in the Life Sciences on the digital IP lexicon 🧭dIPlex
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Economic Development Through International Technology Transfer in the Philippines
Research and Development activites at universities and public research centers play a big role in the economic success of all nations. But especially in still developing economies, the exploitation of the creative ideas and inventions made by researchers is vital to further the economy by fostering the creation of new tech startups and international technology transfer. Therefore, countries such as the Philippines are supporting innovators e.g. via “Innovation and Technology Support Offices” to increase the use of IP which is necessary for commercialization. The local efforts on the Philippines bear fruits as the number of patent applications is on the rise, especially from public research.
|
What IP experts can learn from it
|
For IP experts, the key takeaway is that in developing innovation ecosystems, IP is not merely a legal safeguard but an institutional development tool. IP consultancy work must extend beyond filing patents to structuring commercialization pathways, spin-off strategies, and international licensing frameworks. Supporting universities and public research institutions requires aligning protection strategies with technology transfer capabilities, investor expectations, and cross-border market access. In such contexts, IP expertise directly contributes to economic capacity building and innovation-driven growth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources on the IPBA Connect platform
|
|
|
|
How OLED Technology Transfer Created a Global Display Revolution on the 📑IP Management Letters
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the 🌱Resource Hub, IP experts find ready-to-use playbooks, templates and tools to enhance positioning, visibility and client conversion. This section highlights selected resources and shows how they fit into modern, strategic IP practice.
|
|
|
|
IP experts discuss the Email Course Business Development
|
|
|
"The short email lessons were easy to follow and to put into practice. The course, in particular, has been particularly useful in order to focus on common mistakes that might be detrimental to the creation of visibility (despite a solid preparation and knowledge) and to focus of the importance of being proactive. Furthermore, I consider particularly useful the example of IP profesional who have built a solid brands".
|
|
Elisa is a self-employed IP Lawyer and PhD Researcher at the University of Alicante. In 2023 she graduated with a Master's degree in IP Law and Management at CEIPI with the Master's Thesis: IP strategies for Banks and Fintech companies.
|
|
|
|
|
The Email Course Business Development
|
|
|
|
This free email course helps IP experts build visibility, attract better-fit clients, and grow strategically. It helps IP experts shift from reactive outreach to structured business development. You’ll learn how to position your expertise, build trust through client-focused communication, and develop a reliable system to grow your practice step by step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
BEST PRACTISE: How to use the IPBA Connect Platform as an IP expert
|
|
|
“The platform gave me the opportunity to showcase my expertise at the intersection of AI and law to a much broader audience. It has helped me connect with innovators who are shaping the digital transformation, and positioned my work in a community where IP is seen not just as legal protection but as a driver of ecosystem growth. This visibility has been invaluable for building trust and new collaborations.”
|
|
Sebastian Goebel is a European and German patent attorney, UPC representative, and co-founder of the patent law firm Bösherz Goebel with a primary focus on innovations in the field of digital technologies.
|
|
|
|
|
Sebastian Goebel uses the IPBA Connect platform to turn digital visibility into systematic business development by building a structured expert brand rooted in clear problem-solving rather than self-promotion. Focusing on AI-supported patent creation and value-oriented portfolio strategy, he combines core content with smart distribution across channels like dIPlex, IPBA blogs, and LinkedIn to educate target audiences and guide them along a defined client journey. By linking long-form teaching with timely conversations and conversion cues, Goebel’s approach models how IP experts can transform online reputational assets into deeper professional relationships.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Visible Council - the IP Expert Branding Column
|
|
|
|
|
The difference between influence and overreach
|
|
By columnist Giulia Donato, Brand & Communication Consultant at people and brand strategies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IP professionals often hesitate to offer broader strategic perspective, worrying it might be seen as exceeding their mandate. However, clients increasingly value guidance that goes beyond technically correct answers to include implications, trade-offs, and consequences. The article explains that influence means strengthening a client’s decision-making by framing options and giving orientation, whereas overreach happens when advice prescribes decisions without sufficient understanding of the context or replaces the client’s role. Small shifts in tone or certainty can erode trust. Navigating this balance deliberately enables IP experts to build deeper credibility and expand their advisory role.
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Favorites from the 📝IP Business Academy Blog
|
|
|
|
|
Why business models and IP strategy must be designed together
|
|
|
|
|
|
The article argues that intellectual property strategy and business model design should be developed concurrently rather than in isolation. Treating IP as a checkbox after business model definition leads to missed opportunities for value capture, competitive advantage, and monetisation. Instead, integrating IP insights early helps shape offerings, pricing, partnerships, and competitive positioning. This co-design ensures that IP assets support the chosen business model and that strategic choices — such as platform vs. product focus — are backed by appropriate IP protection. The approach enables organisations to turn intellectual property into strategic leverage, aligning innovation incentives with sustainable commercial outcomes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Favorite from the 🎧Podcast IP Management Voice
|
|
|
|
|
#67 Litigation and Protection of Trade Secrets
|
|
|
|
|
|
This podcast episode provides a structured overview of trade secret litigation and its strategic importance for protecting confidential business information. Unlike patents or trademarks, trade secrets derive their value and legal enforceability from active management rather than registration. The discussion explains why trade secrets are often among a company’s most valuable IP assets and outlines the legal mechanisms available when theft, misappropriation, or unauthorised disclosure occurs. It covers the three-part legal test for defining a trade secret, enforcement pathways from internal measures to court proceedings, and the necessity of legally compliant documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the 📑IP Management Letter series, IP experts find case-based narratives that show how strategic IP management works in real companies and industries, with practical insights they can directly apply to their own portfolios and client work.
|
|
|
|
|
Multi Layer IP in Toys and Entertainment: Lessons from Mattel and Barbie
|
|
|
|
Mattel transformed Barbie from a physical toy into a multimedia brand by layering intellectual property — patents, design rights, trademarks, and copyright — across formats. This multi-layered IP strategy protects identity, enables licensing, and supports narrative expansion across products, media, and digital experiences, illustrating how coherent IP architecture drives long-term brand ecosystems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
