Taking Software and Digital Ideas to Market

Purpose:

To empower participants with knowledge of both the formal rights (registered and unregistered) informal rights, structures and defensibility strategies available for effective protection of the intellectual property underlying web-based, mobile and software products and enterprises.

Outcomes:

• Become familiar with key instruments for Intellectual Property protection including, in particular:
  • Patents and copyrights
  • Registered Designs and trademarks
  • Know-How and trade secrets
• Develop a basic understanding of international and regional variance in protection strategies
• Understand the potential pitfalls of software patents and learn when applying for such a patent can be worthwhile
• Build awareness of some relevant copyright complexities and of the challenges produced by the existence of multiple copyright holders
• Appreciate the risks proposed by reverse engineering and de novo re-development.
• Learn the key questions to ask when undertaking intellectual property due diligence on software and digitally-based initiatives
• Become cognisant of innovative combinations of strategies to exploit know-how in fast-moving digital markets
• Conceptualise how to design personally relevant IP protection strategies, and other approaches to defending your product and ideas

Purpose:

Learn the critical questions to ask when contemplating a project to commercialise digital know-how. Gain basic knowledge of how to use the information obtained to adopt an optimal approach in making the move to market.

Outcomes:

• Develop key skills to evaluate your idea, and decide on a commercialisation strategy
• Gain an overview of the different business models for making money with digital businesses
• Become familiar with business modelling tools and techniques
• Learn how to identify and research your target market
• Learn how to test your idea through market validation techniques
• Discuss the components of a pricing strategy for digital products and services
• Learn techniques for estimating price and revenues

Purpose:

Learn about the different ways to raise funds for digital ventures, the role of the business plan and financial projections in the fundraising process and the importance of understanding basic finance concepts when running a digital start-up.

Outcomes:

• Understand the difference between bootstrapping and using external resources to fund activities
• Appreciate the necessary documentation and steps that need to be taken for the fundraising process
• Get a good working knowledge on financial statements terminology and how to link financial projections with enterprise valuation
• Learn about the investors’ (funders’) expectations and how to meet them

Purpose:

Learn about the different stages in product and business development and how they overlap. Understand the concept and importance of lean product development, the timing for incorporating a business, the legalities and workspace needed for a start-up company and how to put the right team together.

Outcomes:

• Get an overview of the lean development process
• Understand the difference between the various business incorporation documents and agreements
• Gain an understanding of the qualities and skills needed for the start-up team
• Learn about the entrepreneurship ecosystem and the support mechanisms and facilities available to digital enterprises and entrepreneurs

This course was developed in conjunction with Oxentia Ltd, a global technology transfer and innovation management consultancy, established in 2004 as the innovation consulting division within Oxford University Innovation. Oxentia Ltd. work with clients in over 50 countries, supporting innovation management, technology commercialisation and entrepreneurship training and support.

Oxford University Innovation is the biggest technology transfer unit in Europe and has created over 100 companies. It is the highest university patent filer in the UK and currently manages a portfolio of over 1,500 patents.