Corralling Your Intellectual Property in a Wild Web-Based World

Manufacturing News, Source : The Manufacturer US
Published : 07 May 2007 13:31

A guest editorial from Grant Williard, Group Product Manager, Adobe Security Solutions, Adobe Systems

Companies like YouTube, Wikipedia and MySpace have been dubbed the champions of the Internet, but the manufacturing sector has produced its own online pioneers. Many in the industry have embraced the power of the Internet and digital formats (like CAD) to effectively collaborate with suppliers, contractors, vendors and a host of other partners (both at home and abroad). Enhanced communications and electronic resources have made manufacturers more nimble, increasing their ability to create new products and move them successfully through their full lifecycle: from an inspired design, to the plant, and ultimately to the consumer. At its best, the Internet helps businesses be more cost-effective, responsive and efficient.

But the Web-based business world poses new challenges that leave manufacturers’ intellectual property at risk. As product designs in electronic formats move between parties, thieves gain more opportunities to steal them. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that piracy, counterfeiting and the theft of intellectual property now cost American businesses $250 billion per year.

Sure, leaks aren’t new. But in the electronic age, information can cross continents in mere seconds, whether sent intentionally or accidentally. There are legal protections against design and patent infringement in certain countries, but both cultural and logistical factors prevent some nations from combating this growing phenomenon.

Imagine this: An exact replica of a proprietary design suddenly appears for sale months before your company gets its original version on the shelves. Is this mischief by a disgruntled employee or carelessness by a contractor who lacked sufficient computer security? Regardless, creative and monetary capital are lost.

Companies are trying to combat the security question with all the IT might they can muster. Firewalls have been strengthened and systems have been locked down. But the harsh reality is that while a firewall deters hackers, it does not protect documents or designs as they travel from one organization to the next. And isn’t that precisely the nature of collaboration? Designs necessarily must flow from one contributor to another. “Confidential!” and “Proprietary!” are liberally splashed on all sensitive documentation. But what is really preventing information from getting into the wrong hands?

Fortunately, a host of solutions allow manufacturers to strike the needed balance between security and collaboration. Document-specific protection systems add particular levels of security to proprietary designs. New software makes it possible to restrict document access to identified recipients and determine who can do what with a design, including printing and forwarding. Audit controls can track who has viewed a document and when, and if they have tried to alter a design. Access to specific design components can also be blocked, so information can been parceled out on a need-to-know basis. And to round up a document gone astray? Document access can be revoked instantaneously to previously vetted recipients, even if the document has been saved to a computer or burned to a CD. These solutions not only offer security, but also reduce manufacturing errors by allowing companies to maintain tight control of design versions.

With the Internet fueling business growth, companies fearful about intellectual property losses can’t stop collaborating online. To preserve creativity and profits, companies must take the initiative to learn about newly available ways to rein in sensitive information and protect intellectual property as it moves in its most fundamental form: the document.

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