Comments on: Accenture Patents Outsourcing to 3rd World Countries

By: gaijinpinoy

gaijinpinoy — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:24:23 +0000

Quite interesting. It “covers ‘transferring knowledge from expert workers at a client location to apprentice workers’ at ‘offshore locations”. My opinion is that this only gives Accenture protection for its clients that have multiple IT suppliers/vendors.

For example, ABC company has multiple I.T. suppliers (one of which is Accenture) for its hardware, software and IT support services. IBM provides the hardware, Fujitsu provides IT operations support and Accenture provides the software for ABC company.

If ABC company decides to setup some sort of a shared services center in the Philippines, the patent implies that only Accenture is allowed to provide such service for the client. IBM and Fujitsu cannot bid for the lucrative service.

Pretty smart. But I don’t think it will fly because ABC company (usually a big multinational) can easily say that for consumer protection, they can indeed bid this contract out.

By: ash

ash — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:50:41 +0000

@jay, looks like you know a lot about it? anf you think it’s impossible huh?

By: Berne

Berne — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:51:19 +0000

As a side note, be aware that the scope of patentable inventions in the US and the Philippines are different. Section 22 (Non-Patentable Inventions) of Republic Act 8293 (the Philippine Intellectual Property Code), provides in part, as it appears to be relevant, “The following shall be excluded from patent protection: xxx 22.2. Schemes, rules and methods of performing mental acts, playing games or doing business, and programs for computers; xxx.”

By: jay

jay — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:47:13 +0000

dream on accenture. you won’t get it, that’s too broad.

By: Rico Zuniga

Rico Zuniga — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:44:20 +0000

You can’t just patent “outsourcing” per se. It’s too broad.

Accenture‘s patent covers only “Rapid knowledge transfer”. Someone can easily file a patent for “Rapid knowledge sharing”, collaborative learning, bayanihan, instead of simply “transferring” some knowledge.

By: yuga

yuga — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:13:16 +0000

@Apples, I agree, it’s a segment of outsourcing but still it’s outsourcing.

@brianB, unfortunately Accenture just did and they got it. It’s not just the idea but acting on that great idea. That’s why they’re billionaires and we’re both not. *hehe*

By: BrianB

BrianB — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:56:36 +0000

You can’t patent an obvious idea. If you could, I’d be a billionaire. Hey, I’ve got this good idea patent pending. It’s a realistic way to improve people’s finances. Why don’t we all work abroad? What’s 5 per cent of 15 billion dollars a year?

By: ApplesH

ApplesH — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:55:30 +0000

Abe – I don’t think it’s exactly outsourcing that Accenture got a patent for. Its the Rapid Knowledge Transfer process or the Rapid Knowledge Transfer Suite which is only a part of the whole outsourcing thing.