Rachel Pasher EIjkenaar, Adv.
May 2021
On January 14th, I had the pleasure of organizing with Mr. Farid Ben Amor Business Development Manager, WIPO PROOF https://wipoproof.wipo.int/wdts/ and with STATUS magazine https://status.co.il/, a 1.25 hour webinar [ to view-see link below] . With a great team of professionals, we aimed to draw the connecting lines between
Intellectual Property (IP) and IP tools & Innovation. We found that the innovative process leading to the creation of IP is as important as the IP itself. Organizations that value their employees, that are either already innovators or are potential innovators, can stay innovative ones. Recognition of the innovative process also by recording it the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - now with its very accessible tool - WIPO PROOF, is available to all. WIPO PROOF can be used in an orderly, routine, internationally harmonized and secure way, to encourage the innovative people in the organization by allowing for their recognition as such. Recognition and positive feedback, are great motivators for these people to keep innovating and in that to keep developing the organization.
THE NEW IP TOOL
The webinar included a celebration of the new IP tool- WIPO PROOF - by WIPO (World Property Organization).This tool – was introduced by Mr. Ben Amour with a friendly and coherent presentation. This tool allows, for only a symbolic cost , to send to WIPO, for safe keeping, an electronic file, containing any document of any format, in all and in any industry, with any kind of content( from scientific to artistic, musical to pharmaceutical , insurance related etc.). Upon receiving the file, encrypted by the system, WIPO supplies the senders with a certificate - confirming its reception, and immediately creating excellent proof for any stage of creation of any kind of intellectual property or intellectual asset.
THE SCIENTIST AND THE ENTERPRENUR
Mr. Noam Diamant, shared his ideas of innovation and IP. The co-founder and CEO at Noga Therapeutics - a gene therapy company, that develops gene therapies for rare genetic disorders (https://www.noga-tx.com/), is also a consultant for Bio tech industry startups in Israel- helping them build an IP portfolio. Mr. Diamant shared, that WIPO PROOF will help an innovative organization manage its trade secrets- “aligning it on what is a trade secret and giving it a more official status, “improving its strength and validity”. In addition, WIPO PROOF can help show all employees “expands the scope of IP extension of innovation”.
THE INNOVATION & MANAGEMET CONSULTANT
Dr. Edna Pasher – a Management Consultant ant, a pioneer on knowledge management and organizational innovation, CEO of the Pasher group http://www.pasher.co.il/, shared her enthusiasm of the idea of WIPO PROOF. Dr. Pasher chose to highlight two topics. The first: The import ace of Intrapreneurship – fairly new to organizations- to allow entrepreneurship within them. The challenge is to bring employees to want to innovate within the organization and to bring management to allow them to do so- letting go a bit, in this aspect, of “command and control”.WIPO PROOF encourages a “win win” situation, allowing entrepreneur employees to record their innovative products from the very start – allowing foe the recognition of their own contribution. The second: How to move from an inventive idea to an innovative added value.Expirimeting, prototyping and creating pilots, all allow for the emergence of an idea into a product. WIPO PROOF allows for the recording of these rapid experimental processes that are a must in an innovative organization that constantly needs to compete in a constantly changing world.
THE INNOVATION AUTHORITY INOVATION MANAGER
Mr. Hillel Levin is the Innovation manager at The Israel Innovation authority https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/. Hillel spoke about the IP portfolio that applicants for funding by the authority, need to present. It has been active for 40 years, encouraging innovation as a vehicle of growth within the Israeli economy- in all stages- from the first stage of idea all the way to the advanced ones. Its budget has been 2.2 billion NIS in the last year. In return for the grants and loans- the authority does not take any equity in any company, but for low royalties (such as 3%). The funds granted or loaned compliment private funds raised by the applicants. The authority chooses to assist applicants not according to their size but according to the project itself. The applicants (the companies that are advancing a product)needs to present amongst other-background IP(trade secrets included)- that will allow it to complete the process of innovation and manufacturing.
THE INNOVATION, KNOWLEDGE & IP LAWYER
I spoke last- as a IP lawyer that assists my clients with the IP creation from its early stages of innovation, knowledge creation and until the actual creation of protectable IP.I addressed the issues shared by the other speakers and their importance of protecting IP, with immediate, accessible, low cost tools- such as WIPO PROOF. I shared my thoughts and experience, of the importance of acknowledging knowledge and tacit knowledge, and their creators- employees of all levels- within an organization.
I added that organizations can become more attractive while recruiting knowledge employees, in a competitive employee market, by offering them incentives such as IP attribution - that can be given without direct financial strain on the organization. In order for innovation to become an inseparable part of the employee’s daily agenda and routine - a low cost, friendly, secure IP tool- such as WIPO PROOF- proves to be extremely helpful. As for organizations that fear any confidentiality compromising- it is important to state that differently from a registration of rights (PCT / Madrid), WIPO PROOF does not store the original file at any time. I this, it is the tool of choice for trade secrets because it does not compromise in any ways the confidentiality of the document.
4 months later
four months later- and we are mostly a vaccinated country-which makes me very grateful to all that made it possible. As an IP lawyer- I can’t help thinking- that if not for IP tools, including patents- Pfizer pharmaceuticals and the other corporations could never afford to create these amazing lifesaving vaccines. Still, I assume, there are probably many innovators around the world, impacted by Covid 19 - with brilliant ideas of how to tackle it, how to improve life within it, how to help the sick recover, how to live within a crowded population and still keep the viruses and germs out of our lungs (as possible), and how to tackle future pandemics - and many more ideas in probably all walks of life. Many of these innovators and inventors could not afford probably to file for a patent but might very well afford other IP tools such as WIPO POORF. Since the webinar - I have had the chance to work with clients - some at the very start of their business or even ideas- that were in search of quick, effective and uncostly ways- to bring protect their ideas while in search for investors, or while collecting funds via crowd funding or any other exposures. I offered them the use of WIPO PROOF - obviously in addition to older tools such as trade secrets (tell them what they need to know to come on board) or NDAs (tell them more- but make them sign). In addition - I had more than one or two occasions- in which I shared with clients - that are business owners or high officers in organizations – that they would profit if they allowed their employees to enjoy their innovative activities in the organization- to keep them innovating and at times – just to keep them from moving on. In these instances- I found WIPO PROOF was an amazing option. I am happy to share - as I am writing - I am in the process of introducing various clients to WIPO PROOF as a tool that should be used as part of the organization’s routine- thus helping to connect the ongoing cycle for IP and INNOVATION.
Many thanks to Mr. Farid Ben Amor that organized the webinar and was a panalist and to Dr. Edna Pasher, Mr. Noam Diamant and Mr. Hillel Levin. All of you made the webinar possible and coulerful - each of you showing a different and important angle of this subject.Special thanks to STATUS MAGAZINE for suporting this webinar.
To View the webinar:
