Standardization, innovation and IPR

Patents and other industrial IPRs have the potential to undermine the collective pursuit of a technical standard that might serve the common interests of the sector or industry. This tension between the individual and the collective, between the development of technology and its diffusion, is by no means new; it is an inherent feature of standard development as an institution of innovation. The premise for this article is that the scope for conflict has increased over time. The increasing prevalence of the conflict raises a set of challenges for policymakers, patent offices, standards development organizations, and businesses. The article contributes to increasing awareness in these environments.