You Decide: Should intellectual properties be recorded as assets on the balance sheet or disclosed in the notes to the financial statements?

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind. Examples include inventions, symbols, names, images, logos, and designs used in commerce. For example, the annual reports for a mutual fund company will often list all fund managers with their associated professional credentials, academic history, and honors they have received. This provides useful information to the investors and helps individuals realize the value of good fund managers. Is there a way to “quantify” this type of information so that it can appear in the balance sheet as an asset to the firm?