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11 July 2019PatentsSarah Morgan

Prioritise IP to bring SMEs growth, IP Europe tells EU

European policymakers must prioritise IP protection at the highest political level within the EU and with its trading partners, according to IP Europe.

IP Europe, a coalition of Europe-based research and development-intensive organisations,  has today, July 11, launched a set of policy recommendations for the next EU five-year term (2019-2024).

According to Francisco Mingorance, executive secretary of IP Europe, only a “strong commitment to IP protection will create sustainable growth opportunities for innovative companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)”.

The first recommendation is to “strengthen Europe’s highly successful collaborative open standardisation model” by promoting the European open standardisation model and industry licensing guidelines for new market entrants.

In June, IP Europe published its guidance for the licensing of standard-essential patents for 5G technology and the internet of things. At the same time, trade bodies ACT | The App Association and the Fair Standards Alliance issued a diverging set of guidelines.

IP Europe’s second recommendation is to promote a competitive global level playing field and international respect for IP rights.

The coalition, which includes representatives from technology companies including Nokia, Ericsson and Orange, said the EU needs to call on its trading partners to maintain a reciprocal high level of IP protection.

To further promote reciprocity, the EU should ensure that its public procurement opportunities remain open to third-country companies so long as these countries grant EU companies a similar privilege.

Mingorance added: “Without new industrial policies that prioritise IP protection in the global marketplace, IP-intensive industries and European innovation are under threat. This is key if we want Europe to become the world’s leading digital innovation ecosystem.”

The third and final recommendation focuses on providing SMEs with a fair chance to grow and compete globally.

Measures include ensuring that IP rights enforcement in all jurisdictions remains affordable to SMEs and the creation of innovation incentives, such as research and development tax credits.

IP Europe has also suggested that the EU mobilise up to €150 million ($169 million) per year—€1 billion over seven years—through the InvestEU budget (a programme to boost innovation in Europe).

The funding can be used to finance patent generation, advisory services on IP-led growth strategies, and attract more investors that can finance the growth of innovative European businesses, said the coalition.

Ruben Bonet, CEO of antennas company Fractus and IP Europe’s SME chair, said: “Europe’s SME community needs support to develop the IP-led growth strategies that will give them the security and access to finance to scale-up.

“Policies that support fair access to justice for SMEs will also help to overcome the threat posed by patent infringers who use patented innovations without paying for them, taking advantage of SMEs’ inability to pay sky-high legal fees.”

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More on this story

Patents
13 June 2019   Two diverging sets of guidelines for the licensing of standard-essential patents for 5G technology and the internet of things were published earlier today, as the opposing sides continue to clash over best practice.
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21 June 2019   A new initiative, Patent Factory Europe, which aims to boost the competitiveness of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is seeking funding from the European Commission, Council and parliament, according to IP Europe.