11. Mistakes to avoid

In the case of know-how, the value is necessarily lower than that of a patent, since the recipient of the know-how does not enjoy a monopoly of exploitation, and there is no guarantee that a third party is not already in possession of the same or similar know-how, or is not developing it independently, thus reducing the competitive advantage that the know-how is supposed to bring. The value of know-how is often estimated at between half the normal royalty rate for a patent (for example, when the know-how is granted on an exclusive basis to a beneficiary and associated with a patent) and the value of historical costs (i.e. the cost required to reconstitute this know-how, which the beneficiary saves).

The value of a portfolio of intellectual property titles (patents, trademarks, designs or a mix of these) is generally lower than the...