Clifford Chance

Technology in the mining sector

20 July 2012

The recent announcement that the EU has offered funding to the I2mine research project which seeks to develop invisible, zero-impact mines, amply demonstrates the increasingly significant role played by technology in the mining industry.  Not just a driver of cost savings, technological innovation now underpins many initiatives in sustainability, health and safety, equipment and processes.  If licensed to third parties in return for a royalty, technology can also be a valuable revenue stream in its own right.  With particular reference to the mining sector, this briefing reviews how the legal principles of intellectual property (IP) apply to the protection, enforcement and acquisition of technology. 

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