The threat of reprisal is the most effective measure against intellectual property right infringements, and for this reason one of the most essential actions that can be taken in this regard -- and frequently is -- is the filing of civil and criminal charges against companies that infringe upon these rights in an aggressive and uncompromising manner (Long 2000). This not only limits damages, but dissuades future infringement. Protecting Other Firms

Refraining from infringing on another company's tangible and intellectual property rights might be seem to be a simple task, but it does require that certain actions are taken by pharmaceutical company managers. First and foremost, knowledge of the property right laws in effect must be obtained and thoroughly understood in order to refrain from infringing upon them. With this knowledge in place, managers can ensure that any similarities that develop between their own products and/or processes will not be legally infringing upon another company's rights. In order for this to be fully effective, however, companies must ironically have some knowledge of current patents and property rights obtained by other companies in the industry, especially those developing similar products.

This is the reason, of course, that certain patent information is made publicly available, and managers must take careful consideration of these records when guiding their companies through development...

The careful attention of the manager to industry and company-specific developments will also ensure that any attempts at infringement by research and production leaders and/or staff can be detected early and quickly dealt with, rather than becoming an unexpected embarrassment for the company after a great deal of capital has been spent on development.
References

Ghauri, P. & Rao, P. (2008). "Intellectual property, pharmaceutical MNEs and the developing world." Accessed 17 January 2010. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5M-4SY6YJR-3&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1171065541&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=e667e8f8848aae7fd6fe1c222ed046d6

GTN. (2004). "Intellectual property summary." Accessed 17 January 2010. http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidtrade/issues/ipr.html

Kaufman, J. (2008). "Intellectual Property Rights and the Pharmaceutical Industry." Accessed 17 January 2010. http://www.america.gov/st/econ-english/2008/April/20080429230451myleen0.4181027.html

Long, C. (2000). "Intellectual property rights in emerging markets." Accessed 17 January 2010. http://www.scribd.com/doc/2011460/Intellectual-Property-Rights-in-Emerging-Markets