Title: Intellectual property protection as a key driver of service innovation: an analysis of innovative KIBS businesses in Finland and the UK

Authors: Seliina Paallysaho, Jari Kuusisto

Addresses: Lappeenranta University of Technology, SC-Research, Poutuntie 8, Lapua 62100, Finland. ' Lappeenranta University of Technology, SC-Research, Poutuntie 8, Lapua 62100, Finland

Abstract: This paper at hand investigates service innovations and Intellectual Property (IP) protection in the sample of 300 Finnish and UK Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) businesses. The results indicate that the formal Intellectual Property Right (IPR) regime is biased towards industrial goods and not as such in a sufficient way to protect IP in the service innovation context. To be able to protect their innovations, service businesses have adopted a wide range of alternative IP management and protection practices. These informal IP protection practices are tailored to accommodate the specific needs of service innovations and they are particularly useful in the situations where innovation is characterised by intangibility, relatively short life cycle and multidimensional nature.

Keywords: services innovation; intellectual property; informal IP management; IP protection; intellectual property rights; IPR; knowledge intensive business services; KIBS; Finland; UK; United Kingdom.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2008.019707

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2008 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.268 - 284

Published online: 24 Jul 2008 *

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