Protecting the innovation

Published by EEVAM Technologies on 26/04/202226/04/2022

#WorldIPDay #IntellectualProperty  

On the occasion of the anniversary of the entry into force of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) convention in 1970, World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated every April 26 to promote the importance of intellectual property as an instrument of economic, social and cultural development. WIPO is a United Nations agency that is responsible for guaranteeing, through regulations and laws, the protection of Industrial and Intellectual Property (IIP).

This year's topic “IP and Youth: Innovating for a better future”, which aims to give visibility to young inventors, creators and entrepreneurs who exercise their IP rights to build a better future.

At EEVAM, as creators of technology in the automotive sector, we take measures to protect our IP by applying internal processes implemented in our R&D department. These processes are based on the technological surveillance of the sector during the development of a project as well as the protection of our inventions through patents or other IP rights.

IP is divided into two branches: copyright and industrial property.

On the one hand, copyright refers to literary and artistic creations or works based on technology, such as computer programs. These rights arise with the creation of a project and can be registered with the Registry of Intellectual Property. On the other hand, Industrial Property rights are acquired by registering the invention of a project, allowing its exploitation and, if it’s the case, taking legal measures against those who imitate the invention.

Industrial Property rights are acquired through the registration of the invention, allowing its exclusive exploitation and the right to take legal measures against those who imitate the invention. 

According to the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO) there are differences to take into account between the following types of Industrial Property rights.

• Patents and utility models: They protect inventions consisting of products and procedures that solve technical problems and are susceptible to reproduction and reiteration for industrial purposes.
• Industrial designs: They protect the external appearance of products.
• Trademarks and trade names (distinctive signs): They protect graphic and/or denominative combinations that help to distinguish certain products or services in the market from similar ones offered by other economic agents.
• Semiconductor topographies: They protect the layout of different layers and elements that make up an integrated circuit, its three-dimensional layout and its interconnections.

PII rights are one of the most important intangible assets of companies, since they give value to their developments and constitute a differentiating factor against the competition, projecting a positive and innovative image of the company.

In addition, they allow the asset to be tradable through the granting of licenses for the use of invention through third parties, which constitutes an additional source of income.

Protecting an invention through the registration of Industrial Property improves the ability to obtain financing and allows satisfactory legal measures to be taken against those who imitate it.

According to a 2019 study by the European Patent Organization and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), SMEs with at least one IIP right are 21% more likely to experience a period of growth. According with the study "The triangle of business success: Innovation, brand and exports" carried out in 2016, from which it is concluded that protection of invention through Industrial Property constitutes a key driver of a company's growth and internationalization.

At EEVAM we consider that IIP rights are a fundamental pillar and constitute a key point to increase the competitiveness and value of our developments.

For this reason, an essential part of our R&D strategy remains in the protection of our IIP through patent registration and other PII rights.

From the start of development until the patent is registered, a process of technological surveillance of the sector and of potential similar products is carried out in order to be up-to-date on new technology and competitors. 

At EEVAM we consider the protection of Industrial Property as a tool to promote technology transfer, and thus facilitate the transition towards sustainable mobility.