BANGALORE: Intellectual property service company Brain League and provider of enterprise-wide knowledge solutions Edutech have jointly launched an e-learning tool to train employees on intellectual property rights. Named Value IPR, the tool is targeted at the employees of pharma and biotech industries, software industry, and the engineering and manufacturing industry.

Developed jointly by the two companies, the tool would have a company-wide intranet based licensing. The licensing fee will be close to Rs 1 lakh for company-wide access on an annual basis. We are also working out something for individual access over the internet, said Sanjay Bettadpura, manager - Life Science Practice, Edutech.

Value IPR  would have various modules, of which only the first was launched on Monday -- IP and impact on business. There are 11 more such modules lined up and in the immediate future specific modules on patent agent training, IP in biotech industry, and IP in software industry would be released. At a later stage, we would have more  modules for specific groups of people, like IP for marketing executives in the software industry, and IP for scientists in the biotech industry, said Kalyan C Kankanala, chief knowledge officer of Brain League.

The size of the market for Value IPR has been estimated at Rs 10 crore, including the present and planned modules, said Mr Bettadpura. Currently, courses on IP are offered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, and institutions like the National Law School, said Mr Kankanala, which are all law based, whereas Value IPR would take a business perspective. It will help protect one's IP and use it for a competitive edge, as well as help take measures in avoiding infringement on someone else's IP, he said.