No Train, No Gain-Intellectual Property Training Programs Are Key to Driving An Innovative Culture According to ipPerformance Group

Online, March 5, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Naperville, IL. - March 5, 2010 - Intellectual Property (IP) training and instruction programs are essential to improving a company's intellectual property competency, increasing inventor participation and driving an innovative culture, according to ipPerformance Group's survey of Intellectual Property Leaders. ipPerformance Group, an Intellectual Property Asset Management Advisory and Benchmarking firm, conducts research on intellectual property operations best practices.

"IP enthusiasm and understanding has been reported as a significant impediment to gaining support and buy-in for an intellectual property program," said Rob Williamson, President of ipPerformance Group.

The "IP Training Program Best Practices Survey" was conducted among intellectual property (IP) leaders representing 23 major industries. Survey participants were questioned on a range of topics, including curriculum, program management and budgeting, delivery methods, effectiveness and employee and senior management IP knowledge, program goals and objectives.

Some Key Findings:

• The top goals for an IP training program were found to be improved understanding and driving an innovative culture.
• Only 14% of companies have a formal curriculum that is part of an overall corporate employee training program.
• The majority (57%) of the companies reported that their IP training program responsibility was assigned to the IP/Patent legal department.
• The survey results indicate that companies provide a widespread curriculum of subjects, although there is a focus on legal concepts.
• Seventy-six percent of the companies reported their internal lawyers were used to present the training.
• Positive correlations were found between those companies that have IP training programs in place and their employee knowledge of basic and advanced IP concepts.
• Growing numbers of companies are using web and computer-based delivery methods to provide greater access to IP training information.

49 companies participated in the survey, including Teradyne, JohnsonDiversey, Sasol, Deere & Company, Freescale Semiconductor, ASM International, Praxair and Lam Research.

A full report of the survey findings is available from ipPerformance Group at www.ipperform.com.

"We know from our current and previous research that companies are using their intranets to provide online and computer-based training to improve the accessibility of training to their global employee base. This will not only reduce cost and improve availability, but it can drive a more consistent and active training program," added Williamson.

Other intellectual property management subjects surveyed by ipPerformance to determine best practices include intellectual property management strategy and performance measures, litigation and enforcement, inventor incentive programs, intellectual property management tools, patent analytics, intellectual property department operations and licensing.

Contact:
Robert Williamson--President
ipPerformance Group, Inc
1795 S. Washington Street
Suite 102
Naperville, IL 60565-2496
Phone: 630.416.7459
[email protected]

# # #

ipPerformance Group, Inc. (www.ipperform.com) is the leading Intellectual Property advisory. Drawing on the knowledge of over 350 intellectual property management benchmarks of the Global 2000 companies, we help our clients solve complex intellectual property business problems and measurably enhance their ability to build value, manage risk and improve performance in an intellectual property-driven world.