By Gillian M. Fenton

Intellectual property (IP) is an integral component of business strategy in many industries, and for many types of enterprises ranging from startups, to emerging companies in growth phase, to mature companies that may be considered an attractive target for IP litigation. Certainly this is true in life science fields, particularly for biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovator companies, where IP is often a significant component of corporate value. A robust IP strategy should encompass at least three dimensions of activity.