IP in the creative industries (particularly design) - how you can help

The IPKat's studious friend Nicola Rathbone is currently gathering data which she needs for some original research that will go into her Masters Thesis at Cranfield University.

Right: never mind those silly computers -- no traditional designer should be without a fully-functional pencil case (this one's available from mozaec here)

Nicola writes:

"Research in 2006 showed that, while intellectual property is the core product of the design industry, this fact is rarely recognised in the fee structure, with 97% of companies choosing to bill for time instead of intellectual property rights. Research also suggests that, when IPR is included as part of a business model, there are significant benefits both to the designer and their clients.

This project seeks to explore the underlying reasons for the inability of the creative industries fully to exploit IPR in their business model and to examine how to integrate IPR successfully into their business models in the future. This should encourage greater and more successfully focused IP activity within the design community.

This survey is to examine how the creative industries use intellectual property Rights in order to generate income from their ideas, over and and above fees charged on a time/project basis. It also looks at attitudes and understanding around intellectual property. The responses will be used to help create a diagnostic tool that will enable those creating IP, particularly in digital and communications sector, to integrate IP rights into their business model.

This survey is only 10 questions long and will enable the diagnostic tool to be effectively tailored to the needs of those in the digital and communications sector of the creative industries. Your help is greatly appreciated".

If you can help Nicola, you'll find her survey here. In return, Nicola has promised to give followers of this weblog a reader-friendly account of her thoughts and conclusions.