The importance of strategy for companies

EPO and the fight against forest fires
June 2, 2023
2-0 for Hermès
July 10, 2023

As part of the 30th anniversary of the European single market, the Lyon Métropole Saint-Etienne Roanne Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a session on June 6, 2023, dedicated to the protection and strategy of international intellectual property rights.

Nathalie FAYETTE, MARK & LAW Manager, co-hosted this session alongside Hélène SALAVILLE, IP Manager at Haulotte Group, and Céline MATHEVET, Assistant to the INPI Regional Delegate.


This session was an opportunity to recall some telling figures, in particular that companies owning at least one patent, design or trademark generate 20% more sales per employee than companies without intangible assets (EPO and EUIPO study conducted in 2021).

Establishing an appropriate Intellectual Property strategy prior to the development of a product or a service should become a reflex. To achieve this, a number of elements need to be considered and combined, in line with the specific needs of your own market.

Several steps:

  1. Carry out freedom to operate studies to ensure the availability of the product or service in question.
  2. Explain your innovation policy internally
  3. Identify the intangible assets best suited to building strong industrial property: patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights or trade secrets.
  4. Extend industrial property rights protection internationally, at least in the countries of manufacture and marketing.
  5. Formalize data that cannot be protected by industrial titles
  6. Exploit titles through contractual protection
  7. Optimize related taxation
  8. Maintain and defend rights
  9. Continuing to improve.

As is often the case, only a global and personalized approach will lead to a winning result for the company and enhance the value of its teams.