The German EU Council Presidency has tabled an initiative for establishing a European Charter for the management of intellectual property from public research institutions and universities. This IP-Charter would be designed as a voluntary code of conduct for collaboration between research institutions and industry.
The initiative was presented to the EU-27 minister in charge of competitiveness in their informal meeting on 26-27 April 2007. According to the Presidency, the ministers supported the initiative and made further suggestions for the implementation of the charter.
Overall, the charter aims to raise general awareness on the importance of deliberate and professional management of intellectual property. The aim is to encourage member states to support the establishment of principles for the proper management of IP and to push public research institutions and universities to professionalise their management of IP in accordance with the standards proposed by the charter.
The German Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan said she will try to ensure that the charter will be supported by the European leaders' summit meeting in June.
