MANAGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY-RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIAN COOPERATIVE RESEARCH CENTERS

The ownership and exploitation rights to intellectual property are maj or factors that determine the viability of cooperative research relati onships. Australian cooperative research centres primarily deal with p re-competitive research and are involved in the commercialisation of r esearch results. The issue of intellectual property rights has emerged as a major area of concern for all partners involved in collaborative research. Differing views of how intellectual property should be trea ted and how such decisions effect commercial development in centre act ivities are discussed in this paper. It is argued that an over emphasi s on intellectual property can act as an impediment in the commerciali sation of collaborative research. Established practices amongst partne rs for the management of intellectual property are important and shoul d not be disregarded in favor of new legal arrangements. This paper ex amines different approaches proposed for managing intellectual propert y in Australian Cooperative Research Centres.