Harvesting Intangible Assets : Uncover Hidden Revenue in Your Company's Intellectual Property

Whether you call it "harvesting intangible assets" or "intellectual property management," organizations must make the most of everything they have to offer if they want to remain competitive. Yet, the majority of companies are oblivious to the wealth of revenue-producing opportunities hiding just below the strategic surface. In this thought-provoking book, author Andrew J. Sherman shares insights and expertise gleaned from his work with some of the world's leading companies who have capitalized on intellectual assets such as patents, trademarks, customer information, software codes, databases, business models, home-grown processes, and employee expertise. Featuring instructive examples from organizations including Proctor & Gamble, IBM, and Google, the book reveals how companies large or small can implement IP-driven growth and licensing strategies, foster a culture of innovation, turn R&D into revenue, and much more. Smart companies reap what they sow. This book gives readers the tools they need for a profitable harvest.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR HARVESTING INTANGIBLE ASSETS:

“Part revelation, part wisdom, and part inspiration, Andrew J. Sherman’s [book] challenges us to rethink our business strategies in one of the most fascinating books on innovation in today’s marketplace. He provides a unique understanding of how we can all truly ‘harvest’ our greatest asset...intellectual capital! This is an extraordinarily relevant charter for innovators of the 21st century.” — Dr. Donald F. Kuratko, The Jack M. Gill Chair of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Entrepreneurship, The Kelley School of Business, Indiana University—Bloomington

“Harvesting Intangible Assets comes at a critical period in time for the nation’s economy and for the future of our nation's entrepreneurs. Andrew’s straightforward and inspirational ‘how to’ approach is a must read for business owners and entrepreneurs who are in need of an effective growth and intellectual property harvesting strategy.” — Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC); and Chairwoman of the Board, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

“Harvesting Intangible Assets offers a complete guide to growing your business through the leveraging of your intellectual capital. Andrew J. Sherman is the growing company’s best friend and most passionate advisor when it comes to taking a business to the next level. Start reading this book today!” — Brian Moran, Executive Director, The Wall Street Journal

“Harvesting Intangible Assets provides a strategic road map for how to build value and grow your company in today’s content and IP-driven marketplace. The ideas presented in this book are not only fresh and original, but they are also effective, and critical to competing and thriving in today’s competitive global economy.” — Chris Longley, Senior Vice-President, Thomson Reuters

“If Andrew J. Sherman were alive during the lifetime of Thomas Edison, surely they would be good friends. The strategic approach which is at the heart of Sherman’s exhortation to corporate leaders to find and harvest intangible and unknown assets is aligned with everything that Edison believed and was the impetus for his many accomplishments. Read this book, then read it again. Thomas Edison would.” — John Keegan, Chairman & President, The Edison Innovation Foundation and Charles Edison Fund

“Harvesting Intangible Assets is timely, insightful, and in-your face. Once again, Andrew J. Sherman has seen around the proverbial strategic corner and challenges us with a vision that is both provocative and engaging. This is a book that refuses to be ignored.” — Mike Bruce, President and CEO, InScope International, Inc.

“A thorough and insightful look back to the future. Andrew J. Sherman has given American business a systematic framework to recapture the innovative and creative energy that built this country. The strength of our nation's future depends on embracing the key principles of Harvesting Intangible Assets.”

- Donna Ettenson, Vice President of Operations, Association of Small Business Development Centers

“Growth guru and thought leader Andrew J. Sherman practices what he preaches. When writing Harvesting Intangible Assets, he fully leveraged his most valuable intangible assets -- his formidable intellect, unrelenting curiosity, and lifetime of diverse business and legal experiences -- to deliver a comprehensive, practical roadmap for business success in our hyper-competitive global markets."

- Hugh Courtney, Vice Dean, University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

“Sherman has laid out a comprehensive road map for harvesting the single most important resource in most companies and countries – its intellectual property. This is a must-read book for every business leader and policy maker.”

-Verne Harnish, CEO of Gazelles and Founder, Entrepreneur’s Organization and author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits

"Andrew J. Sherman’s Harvesting Intangible Assets is a cleverly written guide to uncovering hidden revenue in your company’s intellectual property that I found especially profound. This book gives you the tools to uncover your creativity and harvest new ideas, strategies, and best practices to ensure success, and Andrew shares his insights in a way that only he can—with humor and style that keeps you wanting more. I highly recommend this read."

—Parnell Black, MBA, CPA, CVA, NACVA’s Chief Executive Officer

“It is rare that you can find ‘everything’ you want to know about a topic in one place. But if you are looking for the definitive work on all the myriad ways an organization can capitalize on its intellectual property and assets, this is it. Harvesting Intangible Assets should be required reading for every CEO.”

-Robert A. Strade, Executive Director and CEO , Entrepreneur Organization (EO), Washington, DC

"Intellectual Capital is probably the most underutilized resource in most organizations. While many of them spend millions for patents, copyrights and trade secrets to lock this resource away until its shelf life is expired, Andrew J. Sherman encourages us to seed, “greenhouse,” grow, mature and harvest Intellectual Capital instead. The book is full of practical concepts and insightful examples of companies leading the way to seed ideas to harvest sustainable innovation. I’m sure that this book will be the new Farmer’s Almanac for the reader on his journey to become an “intellectual capital” Agrarian of the 21st century."

-Dr. Oliver Schlake, Ralph J. Tyser Teaching Fellow and Senior Executive Education Fellow, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

“Andrew J. Sherman makes a compelling case for assessing, managing and maximizing intellectual capital, which should – yet often doesn’t – account for such a large portion of a company’s true value. An enjoyable and important book for today’s corporate executives. This is an important book to be read by today’s corporate executives, who should be carefully managing their “crop” of intellectual capital."

-Dave Groobert, U.S. General Manager, Environics Public Relations

"In his trenchant new book Harvesting Intellectual Assets, author, lawyer and thought leader Andrew J. Sherman reveals for the first time not just how to identify these hidden tools, but also how to fuse them with the specific actions that create competitive advantage. No other work so cogently clarifies the least understood but most valuable aspects of our organizations."

-TD Klein, investor and author of Built for Change: Essential Traits of Transformative Companies

"Global thought leader Andrew J. Sherman provides a fresh perspective and looks at intellectual property in a whole new light. Sherman's great new book points out the subtleties of hidden assets and innovation which could make a world of difference in a life of any company, economy and society."

-Sarah Djamshidi, Executive Director, Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC) President, Maryland Business Incubation

Whether you call it “harvesting intangible assets” or “intellectual property management,” organizations must make the most of everything they have to remain competitive and experience continual growth.In this thought-provoking book, author Andrew J. Sherman shares insights and expertise gleaned from his work with some of the world's leading companies who have capitalized on intellectual assets such as patents, trademarks, customer information, software codes, databases, business models, home-grown processes, and employee expertise.Featuring instructive examples from organizations including Proctor & Gamble, IBM, and Google, Harvesting Intangible Assets reveals how companies large or small can uncover their intellectual property rights that are hiding just below the strategic surface. You'll learn how to:implement IP-driven growth and licensing strategies,foster a culture of innovation,turn research and development into revenue,and maximize your company's profits.Smart companies reap what they sow. Harvesting Intangible Assets gives readers the tools they need for a profitable harvest. Attorney and author Andrew J. Sherman approaches business using a simple, attractive metaphor: Businesspeople are farmers - or, at least, they should be. Entrepreneurs and executives should take a long-range, comprehensive approach to their endeavors, and recognize that time and acquired knowledge play large roles in profitability. Sherman overworks his symbolism, threatening to exhaust its soil, but his images of planting, toiling and reaping succeed as reminders of the approach he wants readers to take. getAbstract recommends his counsel to innovators and those managing innovation, and to leaders seeking a unified organizational vision The intellectual capital agrarian Planting the seeds : fostering a culture of innovation Irrigating the field : embracing intrapraneurship Caring for the fruits of the harvest : intellectual asset management (IAM) Building fences to protect your turf : developing a legal strategy Separating the wheat from the chaff : readying crops for the market Bringing the crops to the marketplace : an overview of strategic alternatives Harvesting the power of intellectual capital leveraging : cooperatives, customers, channel partners, licensing, joint ventures, and franchising The global intellectual asset frontier The future of innovation. Reveals how companies can implement IP-driven growth and licensing strategies, foster a culture of innovation, turn R&D into revenue, and much more. This title Shares insights and expertise from the author work with some of the companies who have capitalized on intellectual assets such as patents, trademarks, and, customer information.