“I think the first step is knowing what IP protection best suits your innovation and building a strategy that covers all types of intellectual property, not just patents,” opines Natalie Giroux, president of Stratford Intellectual Property. A holistic strategy should be designed with the end goal in mind and can be thought of as having five separate pillars. “First, develop an IP-minded culture through IP literacy to ensure all employees have respect for intellectual property and know how to handle it. Second, have a clear strategy on what to protect and where. Third, implement processes to manage the IP portfolio such that it is always due-diligence ready, tracking to a long-term budget.” Following these steps, Giroux explains that patent databases should then be used to derive market/industry intelligence and competitive positioning. “Finally, strategy must always consider monetization opportunities as well as divesting assets. A well-rounded IP strategy is pragmatic but implemented in a proactive manner.”
Excerpt from 2022 IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders Guide interview with Natalie Giroux
In late 2021, Stratford’s Natalie Giroux ranked on the 2021 IAM Strategy 300 as an internationally recognized top IP strategist; the annual list identifies the individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.
On January 5, IAM 300 announced that its companion publication, the 2022 IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders Guide, recently went to print. The publication features interviews with some of those featured in this year’s IAM Strategy 300. Among them is Stratford Intellectual Property President, Natalie Giroux.
In it, Natalie discusses her professional journey to date and offer insights and guidance into career development, practice management and patent industry trends.
In a sneak peak announcing the publication, IAM 300 included excerpts from several of the featured strategists, asking them to explain what they consider to be essential for a truly world-class IP strategy. Natalie’s thoughts (excerpted above) emphasize Stratford’s ideology of proactive and pragmatic IP strategy.
You can read the full post on the IAM 300 website here. The complete online version of the 2022 publication will be available shortly.
[UPDATE] The full guide has been published and is available online in its entirety. You can read Natalie’s full profile here.
Learn more about Natalie’s work at Stratford Intellectual Property.