Patent or Perish: "Why your innovation can be your competitor’s free lunch”
Author: Navtej Saluja and Balwant Rawat

Global research and analytics firm, Evalueserve, drew an interesting comparison between Tata’s much awaited Nano and the colorful Crocs footwear. The funny-looking Crocs footwear that initially elicited stares and snickers had suddenly become serious business after its launch. However, since the beginning of 2008, the share price of Crocs has fallen by 97%. One of the main reasons behind the mighty fall of Crocs is the wide availability of cheap knockoffs, which Crocs would like to eliminate from its primary markets, but it does not have the adequate patent protection to do so. In a similar vein, the unveiling of Nano, at a price of about USD 2,500 by Tata Motors in January 2008 has catapulted the image of the company, and renewed people’s interest in cheap and fuel efficient cars. Unlike the Crocs-inspired Chery S16 compact car, the Tata Nano is a smart-looking car, but is it innovative? Is this innovation sufficiently protected by patents? How can the carmaker avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that have plagued Crocs Inc.? These are some of the questions that Evalueserve has addressed in its recently released article titled, ‘Patent or Perish - Why your innovation can be your competitor’s free lunch?

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