What is Industrial Model

The aim of this chapter is to show that innovation can only produce value once it is legally protected. Indeed, the law is involved throughout the entire life cycle of innovation. Thus, legal protection helps to transform innovation into an intangible asset for the company (patent, trademark, designs and models, databases, etc.). The chapter presents the different legal choices that allow the firm to develop innovation internally or externally. The authors explain that the firm, as a taxpayer, must optimize its accounting and tax choices in relation to innovative activities. Moreover, legal management implies an optimization of the legal and tax structure of the corporate structure in the sense that it is important to choose the most suitable form for an innovative activity. They also show that protecting innovation helps to exploit it through several legal techniques of different natures, such as contractual assignment or concession tools (licenses) or other judicial tools. The legal management of innovation appears as one of the key factors for the success of the innovative firm.