General considerations on intangible assets

Abstract

The importance of the intangible assets has increased rapidly, especially in those organizations that have high value aggregated to their products or services. Thus in order to survive, those enterprises have to find ways to identify and measure them. On the other hand, due to the peculiarities of the intangible assets, agents with dubious intentions have tried to take advantage of the situation. Some recent financial scandals reinforce the previous statement and explain why some paradigms had to be rethought. Thus if on one side the intangible assets are full of peculiarities and play an important role in organizations, on the other one has to think about ways to use them better. The present essay tries to present the distinctive features of tangible and intangible assets. Then it depicts the main legal guidelines, both internal and international, concerning the accounting procedures to be taken in relation to the intangible assets. Finally some reflections on the subject are presented.