Introduction

Abstract

Academics and practitioners argue that the economic importance of intangible values in industrialized countries has increased significantly during the past decades. This phenomenon is mainly due to the notable growth of the tertiary sector, resulting in fundamental changes of the economy: the traditional industrial business model has continuously become less important, as economic wealth creation is more and more based on the exchange and manipulation of invisible or intangible values. Major production factors do no longer comprise of tangible assets, such as property, plant and equipment, but rather of knowledge-based technology, human resources, and other intangible values. Today, the critical elements that are key to a business and that drive revenues are brands, copyrights, patents, licenses and the like.