Securing Intellectual Assets in a Global Environment

Protecting an organization's intellectual property (IP) in the US and Western Europe is relatively straightforward because laws and enforcement mechanisms are reasonably well developed. However, other parts of the world pose significant challenges in safeguarding IP assets due to relatively weak laws and enforcement. This paper examines ways in which multinational enterprises (MNE) can secure knowledge assets across global operations. A comparative company analysis is conducted using a resource based view of the firm. The resulting best practice recommendations could be beneficial for enterprises working in global settings.