Intangible Assets: Different Points of View

The role of intangible assets in global economic development and corporate value creation is a significant area of interest for economists, researchers, academics, investors, accounting practitioners and other stakeholders. Intangible assets are now recognised as a major determinant of a company's long-term sustainability and competitive advantage. The complexity of identifying, measuring and controlling intangible assets is due not only to their specific nature, but also to the variety of terms used to describe them. Despite the considerable number of scientific studies dedicated to identifying a unified terminology in the field of intangible assets, a consensus approach in this area has yet to be reached, and the topic remains pertinent. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the terminology and classification of intangible assets. To this end, the definitions, interpretations and classifications of intangible assets contained in the literature reviewed were examined. Common views and differences of views on the concept of intangible assets were analysed. Furthermore, the concept of intangible assets was examined from an ownership perspective and the commonly known and specific features of intangible assets were analysed and summarised. JEL Codes: Keywords: intangibles, intangible assets, intellectual capital, accounting, ownership.