Intellectual Property Management : The Role of Technology-Brands in the Appropriation of Technological Innovation

The book investigates the interplay of brand equity and technological assets at the corporate level. In a grounded theory approach it develops a model of how companies in technology intensive industries can improve the appropriation of the returns of their intangible technological assets with the help of brand equity and thus improve their competitiveness. The theoretical discussions are supported by two extensive case studies on Bayer Aspirin and Cisco Systems as well as an extensive econometric analysis. The developed model points out how the strategic relevance of immaterial technological assets and brand equity develop along the technology-life-cycle and indicates how companies can, by an integrated technology and brand equity management, appropriate the returns of their initial technological advantage in the long-run. The implications of the findings for business companies as well as researchers are clearly revealed.