Goretex Case

1. Explain what happened to the Gore-Tex brand after the patent expired. What activity can firms use to try to maintain any advantage developed during the patent protection phase?

When the patent expires, means that your competitors can commercialize your products, which means that you can lose your customers if your competitors make this product better than you or if they commercialize it in a lower price.

But, in my opinion, commercialize one product during years gives to a company experience producing the product, which means, that theoretically you should do better the product than your competitor; just because you have been doing it during years. Also, it's very important the reputation that your brand has, because of that, you have try to distinguished it against your competitors. To do that, and to maintain the advantage of having a superior product, I think that companies can also ensure their packaging and labeling is kept to strict standards that identify them in an unmistakable fashion.

2. List some of the wide range of products that the Gore-Tex fabric has been applied?

This are the products that Gore-Tex offers to the market: Consumer products, Cables & Cable Assemblies, Electronic & Electrochemical Materials, Fabrics, Fibers, Filtration, Geochemical services, Medical, Pharmaceutical Processing, Pump Tubing, Sealants and Venting. Because of that, Gore-Tex products are use in:

- Electronic products: special cables and cable assemblies for the aviation, aerospace, automation, telecommunication, medical, and IT industries

- Medical products: vascular grafts, implants, patches, and dental implants

- Fabrics: laminates, and waterproof, branded, high-performance fabrics for sportswear, leisurewear, work, and protective wear

- Footwear and footwear accessories

- Industrial products: filter media and gaskets in environmental, membrane filtration sealant and fiber technologies

3. It seems that Gore Associates is heavily orientated towards technology. What are some of the dangers of being too heavily focused on technology?

Companies often make the mistake of marketing a technology for which there is not enough consumer demand. Technological myopia occurs when a company is blinded by the wizardry of a new technology and fails to examine whether there is consumer demand for the product.

However, I think Gore is on the right track with its heavy focus on technology; the firm is fulfilling its mission to make money and it is a lucrative enterprise for the company and its employee/shareholders.

4. Cooperatives and share-ownership schemes provide many attractions and benefits, but there are also limitations;