Intellectual Property Policy

Intellectual property management is important to ecoflora Cares. We make strategic decisions about the importance of protecting IP assets and accessing innovations of others, and we plan actions and budget accordingly. We carry out these plans according to policies and practices regarding sustainable biotrade, according to the principles and criteria set by the Union for Ethical Biotrade, as well as for personnel, IP portfolio management, procurement, partnering, and policing IP rights.

Ecoflora Cares will always protect its own IP assets. We preserve, improve, transfer, and enforce intellectual property rights in a methodical way, to create value and maximize assets, in conformity with the organization's goals.

Ecoflora Cares will respect the IP rights of others. We take reasonable steps to learn about the rights of others, and to make sure not to infringe.

Ecoflora Cares has a confidentiality program. We inform staff of their obligations toward trade secrets; we control access to premises, confidential documents, and electronic files; we include appropriate confidentiality provisions in employment, consulting, and partnering agreements.

Ecoflora Cares has standard documents for Confidentiality and Non Disclosure Agreements, as well as for Material Transfer Agreements.

We have an open innovation approach and are very keen to strategic alliances and to Joint Development Agreements.

The organization has a copyright program. We put copyright notices on all publications, packaging, and website pages, and we register significant works.

The organization has a patenting program. Employees submit invention disclosures to the IP manager, who reviews the invention disclosures, files timely applications on important advances to obtain a solid coverage, and files foreign applications of the most important applications. We maintain or drop applications depending on their value to the organization, and we enforce patents as appropriate. With significant projects, we obtain clearance opinions, and license rights from others if necessary.

The organization has a trademark program. We clear new product/service marks before putting them into use, and we register significant marks. We mark products and marketing materials consistently, and we follow the rules when licensing others to use our marks or when obtaining a license to use someone else's mark.