Features
Innovation and business strategies are often well integrated inside companies.Less clear, however, is where intellectual property fits in
When Chevron bid US$18 billion for Unocal in 2005, one of the things thatmay have caught its eye was the California oil company’s patent portfolio.If that was the case, Chevron has probably been left very disappointed
Many companies see patent trolls as a growing threat. A new approachto innovation effectively stops the trolls in their tracks
A strategic approach to IP management and commercialisation is possiblein the financial services industry. However, for it to be successful a numberof pre-conceived ideas have to be tackled head on
Intellectual Property Economics, a US IP economics consulting andresearch firm, has assembled the top 25 judgments/settlements of USpatent infringement cases for 2005. The figures show that the sumsbeing generated are higher than ever
Lawyers have traditionally done best out of advising IP owners.Now, however, a new breed of adviser is emerging and they have theireyes on the big bucks too
Insights
The European Commission’s decisionto initiate an open consultationprocess on the future of patents inthe EU is a major chance for industryto make clear what it needs.
For the last four years, Japan has been undergoingsomething of a revolution. Changes are coming thickand fast as the Prime Minister seeks to put IP rights atthe centre of the country’s economy. There is much forothers to learn from what has been happening
Columns
Permanent injunctions are apotentially devastating part of USpatent litigation. A Supreme Courtcase could lead to changes in theway that they are imposed
For many start-ups, building apowerful patent portfolio couldmean the difference betweensuccess and failure. The trick isunderstanding the best way tomaximise potential value
Current proposals for the reform ofUS patent law are far-reaching. Evenso, they would reinforce the hegemonyof large corporations in the IP ecosystem.Whether this is a wise stepfor the long-term good of Americaninnovation is open to question
A recent survey on patent qualityin the United States poses morequestions than it answers
A growing number of businessesand attorney firms are seeing thebenefits of outsourcing someaspects of the IP lifecycle, writesLeon Steinberg
