The Government has done nothing about the management of its $7 billion worth of intellectual property despite being warned about the neglect three years ago, the Australian National Audit Office says in its latest report.
The Audit Office recommended three years ago that the Commonwealth produce a whole-of-government policy statement and management guidelines. It said the task should be led by Attorney-General’s, Finance and the Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts. The departments agreed.
Intellectual property is intangible property like computer software (about half the $7 billion), medical and scientific inventions, copyright in documents, logos and designs.
Three years after the 2004 recommendations, the Audit Office said in a report to Parliament tabled last week, “By December 2006, the overarching approach and guidance on IP management was not finalised. . . . It is still not clear when either the IP Principles or the IP Manual can be expected to be finalised or released.”
This is despite a joint parliamentary committee agreeing on the recommendations of the 2004 report and setting a deadline of May 2006.
The Audit Office said that many agencies had done nothing because they were waiting for the whole-of-government statements.
It said without proper management there was a danger the property could be lost, stolen or not used to best advantage either in revenue or in proper public use.