OECD BEPS from an IP Management Perspective

Abstract

OECD BEPS has been described as “the most significant re-write of international tax rules in a century”. The essence of OECD BEPS is the switch away from a focus on the legal ownership of the intangible assets (like patents, trademarks, trade secrets, etc.) within a corporate group to a focus on the economic ownership and usage of these intangible assets by the group members. This switch I suggest will have a major impact on IP management and the associated IP policies, IP processes, IP systems, IP data, IP governance, etc. within organizations. These OECD BEPS guidelines are not just about tax, they can be seen as an IP management handbook, dictating how companies should behave when managing their intangible assets.