What is Latent Intellectual Property?

Latent Intellectual Property is any intangible asset that has the potential to become Explicit Intellectual Property but has not been taken through the process to claim ownership of it.

Latent IP takes many forms and is present in both For-Profit and For-Purpose organisations:

• Designs
• Policies and Plans
• Reports
• Data (stored in a computer, or in written records or even in the heads of stakeholders)
• Software written by the organisation to fulfil its goals

Most organisations are not aware how much Latent IP they have. AcuteIP specialises in finding some kinds of Latent IP and bringing them into use to help the organisation achieve its goals and deliver benefits.

In some cases the organisation is best served by converting some of its latent IP into explicit IP (IP over which the organisation asserts ownership). Some IP is best kept as a Trade Secret, used within the organisation but not published. But the organisation needs to know it exists, put a value on it and either

• take steps to protect it or
• decide it is not worth enough to go through the trouble.

AcuteIP can help you identify the Latent IP in your organisation- probably, there will be much more of it than you imagine. We can then steer you safely through the choices you should make about how to protect it.