Innovation Literacy

Since 1980, awareness has been growing that the majority of value in today's economy is intrinsically related to the multi-faceted domain of intangible property and rights (IP & R). Found in state-sanctioned limited monopolies like patents, copyrights, and trademarks or in contracts (franchise and license agreements; cooperative research and development agreements; trade secrets; trade agreements; exploitation rights; and restricted knowledge agreements; etc.), IP & R are estimated to account for more than 80% of the value of the global marketplace. Unfortunately, from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the grassroots innovator, few individuals or institutions fully appreciate the:

• global imbalances in IP & R granting and enforcement;
• undue influence exerted by select corporations and governments on the implementation of regulations;
• opaque financial accountability around IP & R;
• clear differentiation between invention, innovation, and incrementalism and the degree to which paradigms to foster one adversely impact others; and,
• global economic consequence of this lack of understanding.

To that end, M·CAM supports its Innovation Literacy division with three primary units.

Public Policy and Advisory Services

"Innovation" and "technology" have become entangled in everything from financial accounting and tax to national security to domestic and international trade policy. With the growing realization that the global economy and its infrastructure must be adapted to intangible realities, M·CAM has worked closely with governments around the world to promulgate new laws, revise economic development strategies, and build national policies for sustainable growth. M·CAM has pioneered new accounting regulations that are now in use in the securities and banking industry with an increasing focus on Basel II implications for global banking systems. It has advised numerous countries on WTO matters and has aggressively worked to clarify imbalances in free-trade agreements.

Uniform Standards for Intellectual Property Rights Accountability

Academic Partnerships

M·CAM has maintained strong ties to the leading academic institutions that are educating future business leaders, policymakers, and global citizens in equitable, accountable knowledge-economy programs. Our partnership with the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, specifically its Batten Institute, focuses on IP & R finance and markets. We have a long-standing partnership with the Center for Law and Innovation at the University of Maine and a growing executive education program partnership with the Indian Institute for Management Ahmedabad. M·CAM provides M·CAM DOORS™ for academic use to these and other schools for research and educational programs.

Innovation Literacy Commons™

Most invention and innovation disclosures never find their way into any commercial use. This does not, however, imply that they have no utility. In fact, many times, unused or abandoned IP & R can provide the freedom to operate even in markets where third parties hold active patents and other rights. The Innovation Literacy Commons™ program at M·CAM provides:

• unparalleled access to the world's patent information and related technology data through educational, governmental, and NGO portals;
• challenge-specific document collections on how people have solved technical hurdles in agriculture, water, energy, transportation, health care, and other critical human needs. These collections can be used as reading materials for developing countries who lack basic content for literacy programs;
• innovator network models, which allow problem solvers from around the world to be proactively identified for existing or future challenges and linked together based on shared creativity disclosures;
• freedom-to-operate Commons where the chilling effect of patent infringement can be countered with public domain or aggregated development option licensing.

We are proud to work with visionary programs like the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA), India's National Innovation Foundation, and others on the democratization of innovation literacy.

For information on these and other services, contact info@m-cam.com.