Business is booming in South Carolina, and across the state, innovation is driving economic and technological developments. But just like any other asset, that innovation must be protected. In fact, the U.S. Department of Commerce noted on July 7, 2016 that, “Intellectual property protection is critical to fostering innovation. Without the protection of ideas, businesses and individuals would not reap the full benefits of their inventions and would focus less on research and development.”
When it comes to protecting intellectual assets developed in South Carolina, it is crucial that our businesses, inventors and innovators understand the threats and opportunities that exist through protecting their intellectual property. Fortunately, the numbers for the first half of this year are not only optimistic; they show the true impact of innovation and creation in the Upstate.
Already in 2018, more than 1,785 trademark (or service mark) applications were filed with owners in South Carolina (up 5% from the same time last year) with 194 of those based in Greenville alone. When it comes to patents, 2018 has already seen more than 182,000 patents granted nationally, with 853 patents with at least one inventor in South Carolina granted—including 18 granted to an inventor(s) in Clemson, 25 in Spartanburg, 96 in Greer, and 174 in Greenville.
While more and more business owners and innovators are realizing the importance of protecting their intellectual property legally, the initial protection of ideas, research and developments is only one part of the formula; companies who learn how to leverage their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) through a fully-developed strategy can push ahead of others in what oftentimes can be a race against time itself.
On August 16, join local business leaders for an event diving into the details of IPR, sponsored in partnership with South Carolina Manufacturing, The Brickyard, InnoVision, SCRA and the Douglas Kim Law Firm.
Our presenters will discuss their own IPR strategies—strategies that they confirm have contributed to the successes of their businesses. Presenting will be:
- Doug Kim, an attorney practicing in Intellectual Property with the Douglas Kim Law Firm;
- Ralph Hulseman, CEO of Hoowaki, LLC;
- Cody Reynolds, Tech Transfer for Greenville Health System;
- Steve Johnson, Regional Manager for SC Launch; and
- Porter Whitmire, the Innovation Manager for TTI North America.
This presentation, held at The Brickyard (400 Birnie St, Suite J, Greenville) will begin at 4 p.m. and include an overview of IPR, a panel discussion with entities that create, value and have directly benefited from IPR. A networking session will follow at 5:45 p.m.
For More Information, contact Sydney Cooke at build@brickyardgvl.com.
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