Utilization of Intellectual Property Rights by Enterprises During COVID-19

Abstract

In Morocco, and since the beginning of the pandemic, various innovations have emerged through coordinated initiatives involving all stakeholders, aiming to introduce new products, new organizational methods, and new marketing channels, driven by the context of the health crisis. This dynamic has raised awareness among regional actors about the crucial importance of the local economy and territorial competitiveness based on innovation, creativity, and the protection of intellectual property rights, notably patents. At the national level, since 2019, there has been a significant increase in patent filings, rising from 190 in 2018, before the pandemic, to 296 in 2021, during the pandemic. Based on this, our article aims to assess the ability of Moroccan companies to file invention patents through a field study involving 56 companies selected based on their geographical location and sector of activity, using a non-probabilistic convenience sampling method. The results indicate that a high percentage, 86%, of the studied companies stand out for their innovative character in their respective fields. Moreover, these companies ensure the protection of their innovations by resorting to intellectual property rights, with 78% opting for intellectual property protection. Patent protection represents 13% of the cases, with 83% of these patents being filed by companies in the industrial sector. This analysis provides a crucial insight into the behavior of regional companies regarding innovation and technology, underscoring the growing importance of these aspects in the context of the pandemic.