Such is the case with Xaar plc, “a decently run company with good products and a strong market position” according to The Times. As a manufacturer of digital printheads for ceramic tiles, Xaar had “an exceptionally good 2013 on the back of a boom in Chinese construction” with a market share of 75 per cent.
However, The Times notes that this market share “has attracted Japanese competitors and hit pricing” in 2014. This is particularly because some of the competitors are long-standing licensees of Xaar technology against whom Xaar has reduced scope for enforcing its patents to defend its market share.
A more detailed analysis of Xaar’s intellectual property business models is to be found in a Cranfield University working paper available at http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/4685.
A two-day course on engineering intellectual property for business advantage is also running at Cranfield University in October. Further details can be be found at http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/courses/training/engineering-intellectual-property-ip.html.
This is but one of many ways of using intellectual property in engineering business. You should of course seek professional advice on your own particular circumstances.
