Guest Lecture : Ms. Waltraut Ritter On 8th Oct. 2004
Managing Intellectual Capital and Intellectual Property
The challenges and problems of managing intellectual property in China are often solely dealt with from a legal point of view. From a knowledge management perspective, Intellectual Property is part of the intangible asset base of an organisation, and as such, should be recognized as asset that possesses a specifiable value and strategic opportunity beyond legal considerations. How can the value of IP be assessed and utilized? The IP portfolio of an organization which consists of patents, trademarks, industrial design, copyrights, licenses, confidential information, and trade secrets, is still frequently overlooked as a sources of monetary value, financial gain, and as important strategic tools vis-à-vis competitive advantage. This presentation will share some insights from companies operating in China that are exploring new ways to manage intellectual and intangible assets. One of the challenges to understand that IP management is not merely a legal matter, and should not be left in the realm of the legal department, but should be placed at the centre of a KM-based business strategy. The seminar introduces the concepts of intellectual capital and intellectual property and how they relate to knowledge, knowledge assets and knowledge management. It also touches on ownership, valuation, risk management, business and contractual practices. Practical examples will be drawing on cases in China, where the ethical and strategic value of managing intellectual capital and intellectual property is crucial for the survival of knowledge-based companies.	Ms. Waltraut Ritter Director, Knowledge Enterprises, Research and Advisory company, Hong Kong Waltraut Ritter is the director of Knowledge Enterprises, a research and advisory company based in Hong Kong. She has been involved in Knowledge Management assignments since 1989, and led projects in a wide range of industry and business sectors, with a focus on knowledge-intensive organizations. Besides her work, she is researching and teaching Knowledge Management at the HK Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University. Prior to that she was Assist. Professor of Knowledge Management at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She holds an M.A. in Information Science (Free University of Berlin) and an M.B.A. in International Management (Anglia University, Cambridge U.K.) Ms Ritter is the founding president of the HK Knowledge Management Society (www.hkkms.org), a non-profit organization for information and knowledge management professionals.