Developed jointly by ICC and WIPO, the handbook provides practical guidance to chambers of commerce and business associations looking to provide intellectual property (IP) services for businesses.

Although intellectual property has become an essential competitive tool for businesses in today’s economy, many companies do not understand how to use IP in their business.

“Businesses nowadays have to rely on the effective use of one or more types of intellectual property to gain and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace,” said David Koris, Chair of the ICC Commission on Intellectual Property. “Business leaders and managers, therefore, require a deeper understanding of the IP system tools to protect and exploit the IP assets they own, or wish to use, for their business models and competitive strategies in domestic and international markets.”

Javier Pena Capobianco, Head of International Trade, National Chamber of Commerce and Services of Uruguay, who presented the publication at the ALES meeting, said: “Because of the strong relationship with their business constituencies, business membership organizations are ideally placed to help companies navigate this emerging field and to play an active role in helping companies understand and use IP assets as a competitive tool.”

The ICC-WIPO handbook gives practical advice on how to set up different types of IP services including training, awareness-raising, consultancy, policy advocacy and stimulating innovation. It features 30 case studies representing real-life experiences of global business associations and chambers of commerce, providing useful examples and best practices.

“An increasing number of chambers of commerce are beginning to appreciate the value of intellectual property to businesses and are providing IP services to their constituencies. This handbook will greatly help chambers stepping forward into this field,” said Anthony Parkes, Director of the ICC World Chambers Federation, which organizes the World Chambers Congress every two years, and contributed the chamber perspective to the handbook.

The ICC-WIPO handbook is part of a suite of tools that ICC is developing to support the provision of business-oriented IP services to help companies boost their competitiveness.

ICC’s long-standing work in the area of IP is spearheaded by the ICC Commission on Intellectual Property.

Download the Spanish version of the ICC-WIPO publication Making intellectual property work for business