By Alexander Wurzer, Theo Grünewald, Wolfgang Fischer and Axel Karl

The phenomena subsumed under the keywords of “fourth industrial revolution” and “Internet of Things” (IoT) is transforming the industrial landscape. With business models in the B2C and B2B segments adapting to these developments, the role of IP—and in particular that of patents—as a competitive instrument is evolving, too. However, especially small and medium-sized companies (SME) often underestimate this role. Academics and practitioners have jointly developed proven methods and tools to effectively protect digital business models by means of IP under these new framework conditions.