A Framework for Audinting Intellectual Property Management of Knowedage-Based Firms

SNowadays, the main assets of the technology-based or knowledge-based companies are intellectual assets. These companies in addition to the management of common tangible assets need to have intellectual property management as their capabilities. Therefore, they should be able to audit their intellectual assets at the first stage. The main question is, which framework is there for the intellectual property management and how to apply and implement it in knowledge-based companies? In considering Biotech in Iran as the pioneer sector in establishing knowledge-based companies, the purpose of this study is providing a whole framework for auditing the management of intellectual assets in knowledge-based companies to identify the status of the intellectual asset management and specifying their strengths and weaknesses. Based on the level of intellectual assets` management in the field of biotechnology knowledge-based companies, some recommendations have been addressed. Survey and content analysis are the main research methods of this study and by interviewing with experts and disturbuting questionnaires within biotech companies, all the data have been collected. The main indicators of intellectual property management audit framework are: the leadership and management competencies of the intellectual assets, the structure of intellectual assets management, Identifying and recognizing competencies of the intellectual assets, the ability of protecting intellectual assets in the organization, the organization's ability to commercialize its’s intellectual assets, and finally the ability of observing and monitoring the competitors’ intellectual properties. After weighting identified factors in the paired comparison, we found that the status of biotechnology knowledge- based companies in the management of intellectual assets is very weak. in order to improve the management of intellectual property in the of biotech companies some recommendations have been deliverd separately to Iran Biotech Inititive Council and the managers of survied companies, finally.