skip to content

Innovation and Intellectual Property Management (IIPM) Laboratory

Developing innovations for the digital economy, such as IoT devices and connected mobility solutions is likely to require OEMs to combine IP from multiple sources (licensors) who exploit their IP to as many as possible licensees (other OEMs). Those involved in the provision of what we call distributed multi-IP solutions (d-mIPs) find themselves entangled in a complex many-to-many network or ‘licensing web’ having to operate payments based on licensing contracts under a variety of terms and conditions.

In the digital economy and ‘pro-licensing era’ efficiently operating licensing payments to/from multiple licensors/licensees becomes increasingly mission-critical. Unfortunately, the current semi-manual processes are inherent of information asymmetries, uncertainties, trust problems and transaction costs, hence should probably be considered inefficient. This project explores the challenges licensees and licensors face when operating licensing payments for d-mIPs and the potential that distributed-ledger technologies, such as Blockchain, can offer to help pushing this business process into the digital economy. 

We are particularly interested in automated licensing payment systems (ALPS) based on distributed-ledger technologies and smart contracts for automating trustworthy licensing payments that can substantially reduce currently existing challenges. Those systems not only contribute to enabling the digital economy, but have further potential to enable new business models. ALPS are defined as platform technologies that enable the automated calculation, execution and verification of accurate payments from licensees to licensors. ALPS seek to lower costs for administering payments, while increasing accuracy, reducing the trust problem and eliminating the need for audits, overall enabling more efficient licensing and novel business models as well as contributing to fairer value distribution to inventors.

 

The project is kindly supported by Research England via the Connecting Capability Fund award CCF18-7157 - Promoting the Internet of Things via Collaboration between HEIs and Industry (Pitch-In project). 


 

Case study: https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/uploads/Pitch_In_Case_Study_Alps.pdf

Videos:

Video with ARM co-founder Jamie Urquhart and Prof. Jon Crowcroft: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XljWgFuitQs 

Short animation explaining ALPS https://youtu.be/7lLayRNK2u4

Pitch-In project pagehttps://pitch-in.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/projects/prototyping-an-iot-platform-for-automated-ip-licensing-payments

 

Related publications

  • Theye, J., F. Tietze and D. Di Francesco Maesa (forthcoming). Introducing the Bill-of-IP: a novel concept for the digital IP management applied in a DLT-based smart licensing system. R&D Management Conference. Glasgow.
  • Tietze, F., D. Di Francesco Maesa and J. Theye (forthcoming). "Transactino Costs for on-demand IP licensing in the digital economy " Les Nouvelles.
  • Theye, J., D. Di Franceso-Maesa and F. Tietze (under review). "On-demand licensing for a fairer digital economy - A simulation study." Technovation.
  • Fletcher, S. and F. Tietze (forthcoming). Automating licensing payments for connected devices – A techno-economic analysis of DLT based systems. Blockchain: a managerial perspective for industry. F. Urmetzer, Springer.
  • Di Franceso-Maesa, D. , F. Tietze and J. Theye (2021). Putting Trust back in IP Licensing: DLT Smart Licenses for the Internet of Things. IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. Virtual / Sydney.
  • Tietze, F., D. Di Francesco Maesa and J. Theye (2020). On-demand IP licensing for the digital economy. CTM Working Paper Series. University of Cambridge, UK. 
  • Tietze, F. and O. Granstrand (2019). Enabling the digital economy - distributed ledger technologies for automating IP licensing payments. Managing Innovation in a Global and Digital World - Meeting Societal Challenges and Enhancing Competitiveness. R. Tiwari and S. Buse, Springer Gabler.

 

Project lead: Dr Frank Tietze

 

 

 

News & Blog articles

Visit to Chalmers University of Technology

28 March 2024

Frank attended the final seminar acting as discussants for Sarah van Santen, PhD student of Prof. Marcus Holgersson at the Department for Technology Management and Economics. Her thesis includes two studies unpacking the role of IP in digital and sustainable entrepreneurship. This was a good opportunity to meet again with...

Talk by Prof. Caroline Ncube at King's College

22 March 2024

Within the context of our GOCIA project (Governing Climate Innovation from Africa), it was an honour to host Prof. Caroline Ncube at King's College, Cambridge for a talk on "African perspectives on governing Science, Technology and Innovation to advance the SDGs" during which she introduced her new book, the " Elgar...

GOCIA project visit to Johannesburg

4 March 2024

It has been a fantastic visit to Johannesburg attending the “Transforming Africa: Innovating our way towards sustainability” organised by Erika Kraemer-Mbula and her team from the DSI/NRF SARChI-Trilateral Research Chair in Transformative Innovation (TRCTI) . During the conference we had a chance to meet several colleagues...