5 tips to better manage your R&D

5TIPSTOBETTERMANAGEYOURR&D

FRANÇOISPAINCHAUD*
LEGER
ROBICRICHARD,LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
Investinginresearchanddevelopment(“R&D”)mustenableyourorganizationto
controlitsinnovationsandenhanceitscompetitiveedge,therebyallowingthe
developmentandmarketingofavant-gardeandoftenexclusiveproducts.To
distinguishyourselffromyourcompetitorsandtopromotecontinuousgrowth,here
arefivecriticalfactorstoconsidertoprotectyourR&Dandtomaintaincontrolover
yourinnovationsaswellastheirrelatedintellectualproperty(“IP”)rights,suchas
tradesecrets,patentsandcopyrights.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Takeallnecessarymeasurestomaintainstrictconfidentialityofallactivitiesrelating
toyourR&D,bothwithinyourorganizationandinyourrelationswithyour
commercialpartners.Youmustlimitaccesstoyourlaboratories,andultimatelyto
yourproductionsites,solelytoindividualswithaneedtoknowtheinformationbeing
used.Itisimportanttodevelopconfidentialityagreementsthatmustbesignedby
anypersonwhomaycomeintocontactwithconfidentialmaterialrelatedtoR&D,in
employmentorconsultingagreements,orinanyothertypeofagreement,as
discussedbelow.
ORGANIZATIONOFRESEARCH
Inordertoensureanoptimaloutcome,youshouldadoptefficientmethodsforthe
collectionofR&Dresults,includingusinglaboratorynotebooks(whichmaybe
electronic),establishingcommitteesresponsibleforreviewingandassessingR&D
componentsandorganizingmultidisciplinarymeetingstoensurethatyourobjectives
aremet.
AGREEMENTS

©CIPS,2008.
*WithLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP.amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-mark
Agents.PublishedintheWinter2008Newsletterofthefirm(Vol.12,No.4).Publication068.100.

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R&Dprojectsgenerateinnovationsthatoftenhavegreatpotential,andIPrightsare
oftendistributedbetweenseveralactors.Youwilloftenbecalledupontocollaborate
withaprovider,consultantand,attimes,evenwithacompetitor.Thedivisionofthe
ownershipofIPrightsmaysometimesbecomplex.Agreementswillformthebasis
ofR&D’slegalorganizationtoprotectyourinterests,whilelimitingtherisk
associatedtoconflictsofinterest,andpreservingyourabilitytofreelyexploit
theresultsofyourefforts.Inordertoimplement”bestpractices”onamanagerial
level,youneedtomakesurethattheagreementsrelatedtoR&D(research
contractswiththirdparties,collaborativeresearchcontracts,employmentor
consultingcontracts)containprovisionsorclausesestablishingorconfirmingyourIP
rightsandyourownershiprightsor,attheveryleast,yourrightstouseIPandR&D.
DEFININGTHEIPCOMPONENTSRELEVANTTOR&D
Youmustdeterminewhetheryouwillbefilingpatentapplications,makingsome
resultsofyourR&Dpublic,orchoosingtoprotecttheproprietarynatureoftheR&D
resultsthrough”tradesecrets”.Thisissueisadifficultoneandshouldbetaken
seriously.Therefore,youwillhavetoassessthepatentabilityofyourinnovations
andensurethatIPcomponents(suchasknow-how,copyrightsandtrademarks)are
puttotheirbestuse.Youmustalsodetermineifyoumightbeatriskofinfringing
yourcompetitors’IPrights.Toavoidsuchasituation,youneedtodevelopstrategies
andpolicies.AcommitteetoreviewandassessR&Dcomponentscouldadequately
fulfilthisimportantandstrategictask.
PARTNERSHIPS
Finally,tomaketrade-relatedaspectsofinnovationsbasedonR&Dprofitable,you
needtoassesstheopportunitytoparticipateintechnologydevelopmentagreements
resultingfromyourR&Dactivities,asisoftenthecaseintheinformation
technologies(“IT”)sector.Theseagreementscomeindifferentformatstosuityour
needs:licencesforcommercialization(“out-licensing”);licencestoobtainaccessto
technicalcomponents(“in-licensing”);distributioncontractsoragreementsforthe
resaleofaproductthroughvalue-addedresellers(“VAR”);co-marketing
agreements;etc.

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