Innovations are of great importance in highly industrialized countries; they are responsible for more than half of the economic growth and are a key component to the economy. Studies have shown that innovative companies bring a greater profit on average than imitators. In order to be able to afford significant future investments, monopoly profits in the form of temporary competitive advantages must be held in the future. Hence, situational adjusted protection strategies for internal innovations are essential. Traditional factual protection strategies for reduction of imitation risks are ever in-creasingly being supported by legal protection strategies to ensure freedom of action and block competitors. Intellectual property management therefore plays a crucial role in innovation management.