Insights
At events in Gothenburg and Munich,cutting edge discussions about thefuture of IP were the order of the day.
McDonald’s has picked the wrongperson to have a trademark fight within Australia.
If John Roberts successfully navigates the Congressionalnomination process and ends up as the Supreme Court’snewest member, his business law credentials could meangood news for US IP owners
Columns
There are many reasons to value asingle patent or a whole portfolio.Some are far more relevant to theventure capital community than others
A company’s intellectual propertyassets clearly have value. Theproblem is finding a way to assessthis accurately
The Merck v Integra decision handeddown by the Supreme Court in earlyJune is good news for pharmaceuticalcompanies
There are a number of reasons, manyof which have little to do with hardnosedbusiness principles, why lettinggo of a patent can be difficult. But ifcompanies are to do justice tothemselves and their shareholders,they must take the sentimentality outof portfolio management
Features
For companies seeking to leverage their IP assets in the financial marketsthere have never been more products on offer. The trick is to find which oneis most suitable
Viewed in isolation, the failure of the CII Directive was not a body blow toEuropean patent owners. The problem is that it was just the latest in a stringof reverses that threaten to leave Europe’s businesses way behind theirglobal competition
The Chinese government is establishing high-tech standards that differ fromthose accepted internationally. In effect, therefore, foreign high-tech IP rightsare in danger of losing value. But it is not too late for high-tech companies todo something about it
Setting realistic expectations for IP commercialisation involves a strategicanalysis and not just a simple comparison to IBM’s programme
Even companies with great technology and a commitment to license cannotassume that people will beat a path to their doors to take what is on offer. Insuch cases, the most likely outcome is that there will be very little interest unlessa strategy to engage with potential licensors is developed and then implemented
