Navigating the Protection and Commercialization of Intellectual Property: Uncharted Territory for Accounting Researchers

In this paper, we investigate the management system for intellectual property (IP) within the Center for Technology Transfer (CTT) currently operating in the University Science Park–organizational unit of the University of Žilina. The CTT deals with procedural issues: acquisition of intellectual property rights, IP protection, and IP commercialization. In solving selected issues involving the Internal Directive´s content regulating the IP protection and commercialization in CTT of the University of Žilina, we are using available information and knowledge of the directives from both domestic and international universities.This investigation helps the CTT in formulating more effective directive contents for University Science Park in Žilina. The entire system of research and development funding through projects requires accurate and complex monitoring of the use of allocated funds for various activities and persons. For internal usage, it is necessary to obtain discreet evidence that would allow accurate identification of funding received directly from IP creation-related projects.

On December 22nd, 2024, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on making breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation. Among its proposed solutions is the development of higher education institutions into strong research entities that closely integrate research, application, and training. Surveys indicate that in recent years, higher education institutions have achieved certain results in both basic and applied research. However, the commercialization of intellectual property — an outcome of applied research — still faces invisible barriers, particularly in policies related to intellectual property management. Based on a survey conducted at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, along with 20 higher education institutions in northern provinces, 5 in central provinces, and 19 in southern provinces, the study identifies key challenges in the commercialization of intellectual property at these institutions and explores the root causes of such challenges. Drawing on the survey results, this article proposes the establishment of “Technology Parks” to support the commercialization of intellectual property in higher education institutions. These parks aim to encourage innovation, manage the exploitation and protection of intellectual property, and contribute to building a knowledge-based economy that supports national socio-economic development.

India’s Food and Beverages (F&B) industry, with its unique taste receptors and cultural influences, is thriving. It rapidly expands and adopts advanced manufacturing, operational, and management processes. This paper delves into the transformative role of intellectual property (IP) commercialization. It is a legal process and a key driver of innovation, competitiveness, and growth within India’s dynamic F&B sector. Additionally, the paper provides a comprehensive analysis of IP's financial, competitive, and operational benefits, highlighting how IP commercialization facilitates market expansion. The paper also examines the multifaceted landscape of IP commercialization within the food sector, analyzing strategies, challenges, and opportunities businesses face to leverage their IP assets. A key point emphasized is the need for IP protection from the inception of an invention, as any delays can lead to the loss of novelty and potential leakage. By effectively preserving, managing, and utilizing IP assets, the F&B industry can address the challenges of a constantly evolving sector and establish a favorable position for sustained growth, innovation, and success. This paper aims to provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders and promote sustainable growth and innovation in India’s food and beverage (F&B) industry, thereby optimizing the impact of intellectual property (IP) commercialization.

Commercialisation of intellectual property (IP) constitutes a vital part of a state’s economy and signifi cantly contributes to the development and success of any innovative project. At the same time, commercialisation of IP is directly linked to the adopted legislation on patent rights as it regulates the protection and exploitation of IP. This article seeks to compare the IP commercialisation frameworks in Georgia and Estonia and identify the challenges encountered in patent protection mechanisms in Georgia. Estonia and Georgia are both located in the Eastern European region and share similar legal systems and constitutions. By aligning its legislative framework with European Union standards and supporting universities and fostering a culture of innovation, Estonia sets a notable example in IP commercialisation. However, Georgia’s legislative framework still lacks certain elements that are crucial for developing IP commercialisation. The low number of registered patent applications in Georgia indicates the challenges and obstacles in this fi eld. The comparison of legal frameworks and practices in these countries can provide important insights into the challenges and solutions in IP commercialisation. The article examines how inefficient legislative framework leads to inconsistent patent protection mechanisms in Georgia, creating barriers in IP commercialisation, while underlining Estonia’s success in innovation and the establishment of a progressive IP commercialisation landscape. The article also presents a set of recommendations for Georgia to align its framework with EU standards, initiating joining the European Patent Convention, strengthening IP enforcement, and promoting open IP policies in universities, following Estonia’s model.

The shift of the world to a knowledge economy, mainly driven by Intellectual Property (IP), calls for research dissemination through scholarly publishing to promote the protection and commercialisation of IP. In Africa, innovations such as mobile payment systems, drones, and development in the fields of renewable energy, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence have become key drivers of economic growth and development. However, many African countries have yet to know and appreciate the value of IP to their economies. The benefits of IP may be fully realised through proper awareness and understanding of IP using scholarly publications. The study sought to examine the published documents that focus on IP and the creative industry in Africa in order to create awareness and understanding of the breadth and scope of IP and IPRs. Content analysis was conducted on Scopus using descriptive informetrics. The Scopus database was used to ascertain the published documents that focus on IP and the creative industry in Africa. The researcher used the search string TITLE, ABSTRACT, KEYWORD and also applied Scopus “Analyse Search Results”, which facilitated in-depth analysis of the documents according to the key indicators (the year of publication, territory or country, source, author, institute/ affiliation, types of document, subject areas and sponsors). The analysis revealed that there were very few documents published each year on IP and the creative industry published in Africa. Although documents on IP and the creative industry in Africa were published through three document types, there was a diversity of the subject areas in which research on IP and the creative industry in Africa was found. Of the available research, most authors were affiliated with institutions in Africa, but only one of the journals belonged to an African country, and of all the sponsors, only four belonged to an African country. There was very little research on IP and the creative industry published in Africa, although IP is applicable to different disciplines. Africa needs to improve its science and technology capacity, research facilities and funding, and understanding and awareness of IP. Scholarly publishing on IP and the creative industries would be more pronounced if supported by local sponsors and journals instead of relying on scholars and institutions affiliated with countries outside Africa.

Patenting patterns in Artificial Intelligence: Identifying national and international breeding grounds

The economically developed countries are looking for possibilities to realize the innovative ideas into the production sphere as well into the sphere of every-day life of their citizens. It creates the opportunity to enhance the quality of life of the population and to make higher profit. Unfortunately, the realization of these ideas and projects is implemented ineffectively, and it is they that are the key to Ukraine’s future: economic growth or stagnation. The state is a motive force of the technological advance, as it has taken the risks and liabilities which the market is unable to perform. Firstly, it is a proper legal protection of the intellectual property and lack of corruption practice in corresponding state institutions. Secondly, it is the stimulation of mental work production. Thirdly, it is the development of the effective system of regulation of relations in the intellectual property sphere. Fourthly, it is the support of the enterprises which use the results of mental work in their production process. Ukraine possesses a high scientific potential. But ineffective functioning of the state system of intellectual property and a low level of budgetary financing deters the processes of commercialization of the scientific research results, as well as the innovative development and the economic growth. In particular, the domestic legislation is not ideal and fails to keep pace with European Norms. There are some corruption schemes and malpractice in the state system of intellectual property management. In Ukraine the system of innovations is represented mainly by the scientific sphere, but a state support in the sphere of legal protection and commercialization of intellectual property is rather insignificant. The main problems of Ukraine on the way to the innovative development which are necessary to solve in order to enhance the economic potential can be roughly divided into some groups: economic, social, legislative and institutional. Having a desire to create a developed economy the government started introducing the reforms which could eliminate shortcomings of a state system, but the steps which can promote to an effective intellectual property state management are rather slow and Ukraine is compared with the third world countries in all international ratings. The steps which Ukraine should make on the way to an effective management in the sphere of intellectual property and to the development of innovative model of the economy are: to complete the judiciary-, tax- and custom system reforms; to bring the Ukrainian legislation close to the European standards; to fight corruption; to elaborate on the priority guidelines of financing; to motivate the entrepreneurs to the innovative activity; to introduce the privileged credit; to popularize science and knowledge.

The purpose of the article is to study the government policy of intellectual property protection as a tool to stimulate the innovative development of the national economy. Research methodology. The achievement of the purpose set in the article is carried out with the help of comparative analysis of the level of intellectual property protection of Ukraine and foreign countries; a retrospective analysis of the Intellectual Property Index of Ukraine. Findings. The article describes the meaning and the main characteristics of the concepts of "intellectual property", "intellectual property rights" and "state policy for the protection of intellectual property". The main tools for the protection of intellectual property are defined: patents, trademarks, trade secrets, author’s law and related rights. The research of modern trends in the protection of intellectual property in the world economy is carried out. Based on the analysis of Ukraine's place in the IP index (research by The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Innovation Policy Center) and the IPRI index (Property Rights Alliance research), key gaps in state support for intellectual property protection in Ukraine were identified. Practical value. The results of clustering of the countries across the world according to IP and IPRI indices allowed to outline alternative options for improving the effectiveness of state support for Ukraine in the direction of harmonization of national legislation and procedures for the protection of intellectual property. The need for government support has been determined areas: for the provision of legal and technical assistance to owners of intellectual property rights; creating a favorable environment for the transfer of technologies in the host states; facilitating the resolution of private disputes regarding intellectual property; the development of information technologies for the storage, access and use of valuable information about intellectual property; regulation of effective mechanisms of public administration of the process of implementation of inventions; adoption the European experience in stimulating small and medium-sized enterprises that are innovators The proposed measures will help strengthen government support for the protection of intellectual property in Ukraine, improving the ability of innovators and inventors to protect their innovations.

Exploitation of intellectual property rights in the field of sports is currently one of the most powerful sources of funding for sports, sports activities, and various sports events. However, unfortunately the sports organizations and individual right holders encounter problems regarding protection issues. There is a strong need to ensure the protection of these rights, and strengthen their potential to generate income from them. The use of intellectual property in modern conditions is a significant financial asset of the sports sphere. When acquiring rights of intellectual property, sports organizations, athletes and other rights holders often feel the need for legal regulation, protection and commercialization of intellectual property, as this is a prerequisite for their further profitable use. Hence, the present research aimed to study peculiarities of legal support, implementation and protection of intellectual property rights in the field of sports.

In this paper, the author presents one of the ways to protect intellectual property. It addresses legal and criminal protection which is integrated in system of legal and penal protection of intellectual property. By analyzing this, according to the author, most efficient manner of protection of intellectual property, and taking into account the economic function which is part of intellectual property, it becomes clear why it is necessary to introduce restrictive measures in this area. There is a justified need for the owners of rights to have an adequate protection so as to stimulate them to further invest and research, and to protect them from the so-called free riding in the best possible manner. In other words, intellectual property rights brings order to the markets and provides guarantees to the owners of rights and those allowed to use the rights to freely work with them, while the legal and criminal protection additionally encourages them to create in a safe environment.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIOLATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THE DEFENSE SECTOR

Intellectual property (IP) is the result of the creative work of inventors. The implementation of intellectual property and non-property rights is regulated by Russian law. One of the important components of intellectual property (IP) management is its commercialization. It is possible to assess the value of IP through an objective analysis of projects and their parameters, including financial components. Commercialization of IP is carried out through the mechanisms of alienation and disposal by companies of their intellectual assets in order to obtain commercial benefits. One of the ways to dispose of rights is to conclude license agreements on granting the right to use protected intellectual property. The validity of a license agreement depends on the presence in the compensated license agreement of a condition on the amount and procedure for paying remuneration. Payment of remuneration may be provided in the form of one-time payments (lump payment), periodic interest deductions (royalties) or in another form. Payments in the form of royalties are most in the interests of the right holder. The calculation of the royalty rate is methodologically not regulated at the legislative level and is the most controversial issue when concluding license agreements. The development of methodological approaches to determining the royalty rate makes it possible to increase the justification of the costs of project implementation. The article describes the existing methodological approaches to the calculation of a fair royalty rate, analytical tools for determining standard royalty rates, and the values of recommended royalty rates in the oil and gas industry.

The article delves into the key role of intellectual property (IP) as a catalyst for innovation, highlighting the complex IP protection mechanisms and their profound impact on economic growth. Looking at the commercialization of IP, the study highlights how patent law serves as a cornerstone for strengthening competitive advantages, enabling companies to protect their inventions and maintain market leadership. It highlights the need for an effective IP system that not only stimulates creativity, but also ensures that innovators are adequately rewarded for their contributions. Such a system is necessary to maintain a dynamic ecosystem of research and development, stimulating technological advances in various industries. In addition, the article examines the changing challenges caused by globalization and digitalization that have changed the IP management landscape. Cross-border IP commercialization is becoming increasingly complex, requiring a robust framework for navigating international rules and protecting assets in a globalized economy. The rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain further complicates this scenario, offering both opportunities and challenges. While these technologies optimize IP management processes, they also introduce new vulnerabilities such as the risk of unauthorized use or disruption. The study calls for adaptive strategies to harness the potential of these innovations while reducing their risks, ensuring that IP systems remain resilient in the face of rapid technological change. Ultimately, the article highlights the importance of IP in promoting innovation and economic progress, advocating for policies that balance protection with accessibility to promote a dynamic and inclusive innovation ecosystem.

Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and distributed ledger technology (DLT) currently lead to lively debates in academia and practice. AI processes data to perform tasks that were previously thought possible only for humans. DLT has the potential to create consensus over data among a group of participants in untrustworthy environments. In recent research, both technologies are used in similar and even the same systems. This can lead to a convergence of AI and DLT, which in the past, has paved the way for major innovations of other information technologies. Previous work highlights several potential benefits of a convergence of AI and DLT but only provides a limited theoretical framework to describe upcoming real-world integration cases of both technologies. In this research, we review and synthesize extant research on integrating AI with DLT and vice versa to rigorously develop a future research agenda on the convergence of both technologies. In terms of integrating AI with DLT, we identified research opportunities in the areas of secure DLT, automated referee and governance, and privacy-preserving personalization. With regard to integrating DLT with AI, we identified future research opportunities in the areas of decentralized computing for AI, secure data sharing and marketplaces, explainable AI, and coordinating devices. In doing so, this research provides a four-fold contribution. First, it is not constrained to blockchain but instead investigates the broader phenomenon of DLT. Second, it considers the reciprocal nature of a convergence of AI and DLT. Third, it bridges the gap between theory and practice by helping researchers active in AI or DLT to overcome current limitations in their field, and practitioners to develop systems along with the convergence of both technologies. Fourth, it demonstrates the feasibility of applying the convergence concept to research on AI and DLT.

Since artificial intelligence has completed the process from the auxiliary tool of human creation to the independent creation completion of works with formal appearance, it has brought many legal issues that have caused widespread controversy. Among them, whether artificial intelligence has the qualification of legal subject and whether the products of artificial intelligence should be protected by law is the focus of the problem. In the legal circle, the involvement of the theme of “non-anthropocentrism” can be traced back to the debate between animal legal personality and non-human ecological rights. The Naruto v. Slater Monkey selfie case and the Pigcasso light people’s debating about animal copyright, and artificial intelligence provides a new research perspective and reinvigorates the research on animal copyright. By means of the analogy research of animals, humans and artificial intelligence, this paper explores the rationality, necessity and feasibility of investing non-human beings with quasi-legal subject qualification in the special subdivision field of law—copyright. Quasi-legal subject qualification means that artificial narrow intelligence and animals are endowed with judicial capacity for copyrights and limited capacity to act. At the same time, the designers of artificial intelligence, animal breeders and the government and so on serve as the quasi-guardian of artificial intelligence and animals. In addition, artificial general intelligence and artificial super general intelligence are endowed with completely independent legal capacity to act, and the quasi-guardian system is terminated. The quasi-guardian system is perfectly compatible with the existing legal framework from the perspective of development. It protects the ownerless intellectual property from the free lift, thereby helping avoid the tragedy of the commons. Furthermore, it solves the problem that animals and artificial narrow intelligence cannot independently safeguard their rights and provides a forward-looking theoretical model for the system construction of non-human copyright.