IP Glossary - I

the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is the organisation responsible for the Internet’s global Domain Name System (DNS). Through its Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), ICANN provides a tool for the resolution of domain name conflicts based on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

is the abbreviation for Information and Communications Technology. The term refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication devices.

was a specific programme of CIP aiming at stimulating innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of ICT by citizens, governments and businesses.

refers to the period between the signature of the Grant Agreement and the end of the project.

A set of legal rules that regulate the entry of imported goods and services in the country. It includes general regulations (general import policy, licensing, contingencies, goods subject to customs fees, prohibited or suspended imports) and specific regulations (technical standards, packaging, labelling, trademarks and patents).

means research and innovation activities to which the European Union provides financial support through the EU Framework Programmes (e.g. Horizon 2020) and which are undertaken by participants. They are usually simply called “projects”.

in FP7 refers to the use of the resulting knowledge (foreground) by parties other than the beneficiary who generated the foreground, namely through an assignment of rights or a grant of a license.

one of the three basic patentability requirements under the European Patent Convention, which requires that an invention be capable of being made, used, or reproduced in any kind of industry, broadly understood to include fields such as agriculture; certain activities, like surgical, therapeutic, or diagnostic methods practiced on the human body, are generally excluded from industrial applicability.

is an intellectual property right that protects the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of a product, including its lines, contours, colors, shape, and materials, as applied to industrial products or handicrafts. The holder of a registered industrial design has the exclusive right to prevent third parties from making, offering, selling, importing, exporting, using, or stocking products incorporating the design without consent, for commercial purposes. Protection is granted for a limited period, typically up to 15 years in most jurisdictions.

In marketing, an influencer is a person who has recognition and can directly influence the customer's decisions and opinions of the targetted market. For these reasons, some marketing campaigns are designed especially for them.

a violation or infraction of the terms of an agreement, encroachment, trespass, or disregard of others' rights. Intellectual property infringement will refer to a breach of rights resulting from a patent, copyright, database right, performer right, design, trade mark, etc.

is a court order that requires an alleged infringer to immediately stop selling, producing, or otherwise engaging in potentially infringing activities during judicial proceedings, particularly when continued infringement could cause significant damage, compromise evidence, or affect the effectiveness of the final judicial decision.

is a court order directing an individual or a company to perform or refrain from certain acts, serving as a legal remedy in a civil lawsuit to stop unlawful behaviour, either alongside or instead of monetary damages.

in Horizon 2020, refers to an action primarily consisting of activities directly aimed at producing plans and arrangements or designs for new, altered or improved products, processes or services. For this purpose they may include prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product validation and market replication.

All production factors of intangible nature integrated across the business activity. Some of them can be materialised in Intellectual Property Rights, while the remaining ones are part of the business goodwill.

refers to creations of the human mind, including inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce, over which the creator or owner has legal rights.

are legally enforceable rights over creations of the human mind, including inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. They grant the holder the right to exclude others from using these creations and are generally categorized into industrial property rights (such as patents, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks, trade secrets, and geographical indications) and copyright and related rights (covering authors, performing artists, producers of phonograms, and broadcasters).

was a specific programme of CIP for supporting and funding concrete projects, initiatives and best practices to save energy and encourage the use of renewable energy sources in Europe.

means, according to the FP7 Rules for Participation, an international organisation, the majority of whose members are member states of the EU or associated countries, and whose principal objective is to promote scientific and technological cooperation in Europe.

a system used to classify goods and services for the purposes of trade mark registration -i.e. to define which types of goods and/or services are protected by the trade mark.

means, according to the FP7 Rules for Participation, an intergovernmental organisation, other than the EU, which has legal personality under international public law, as well as any specialised agency set up by such an international organisation.

is a patent application filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

an international classification system used to categorise the figurative elements of marks. Its full title is International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks.

An invention patent is a patent that typically covers any new, inventive, and useful method, process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, although the subject matter patentable as an invention patent varies between jurisdictions.

one of the three basic patentability requirements under the European Patent Convention, requiring that an invention be non-obvious to a person skilled in the relevant field in view of the prior art, in order to qualify for a patent.

the quality or state of being an inventor (a person who conceived an invention). In order to be considered as an inventor it is generally acknowledged that a certain level of contribution to the development of the creative elements of an invention (technical creativity) must be met. Inventors are always entitled to be designated on the patent, regardless of who files the application. An inventor is not necessarily always the owner of the rights in his invention, as the rights to patent grant might have been assigned to a different subject.

Intended as the exercise to gather as much information as possible on the value and the risks of a company's intangible assets, with a view to acquiring IP, raising capital and seeking financial assistance (e.g. bank loans). Although IP due diligence is a precondition for any capital investment, it can be helpful for enforcing IP rights and reducing the IP-related costs as well. In a few words, IP due diligence can be considered as an essential process when developing an IP strategy.

is an assessment of the value of a particular IP asset. IP valuation may be quantitative or qualitative in nature. There are a variety of methods to value IP.

the use of legal actions, remedies, measures and procedures against the infringement of any IPR. This includes, among others, stopping unauthorized use, deterring future infringements or obtaining compensation for damages resulting from the infringement.