How to Identify: IP Management

From an IP Management perspective, the main reason for identification of intangibles would be to make sure that your company's intangibles are protected and registered, in order to avoid disputes over whose innovation or design emerged first, as well as, to avoid infringement issues.  An officer of a company who seeks to properly manage IP should be constantly collaborating with the responsible persons involved in the development or use of IP including the R&D department to determine when and if an R&D project requires a patent registration, the marketing department to uncover information about marketing intangibles that may need protection, and the accounting department to pinpoint how IP fits into the overall cash flow of the company and whether there is any evidence of hidden IP that needs to be accounted for.  

In the case of an acquisition, an IP manager would want to collaborate with an outside valuator to determine the value that IP adds to the overall value of the company, especially since intangibles typically reflect 40 - 80% of a multinational enterprise's value chain.  An IP manager may also see a need for help from IP law professionals in determining the proper methods of registering and protecting IP in various jurisdictions and for various periods of time.