Features
The European R&D and patenting world treat intellectual property as a legalright and nothing else. Most companies and investors want that attitude tochange. If it does, a number of exciting possibilities can begin to emerge.What Europe needs most is intermediaries from outside the law
The convergence of the capital and insurance markets may have creatednew opportunities for intellectual asset finance
Pendency times are on the rise in the world’s major patent offices andindustry is being damaged as a result. Although everyone agrees there isa problem, finding a solution remains a difficult task
Mixing open source and closed software can prove to be an effective –and profitable – corporate strategy. Philips is one company that has cometo understand this
As most of the world’s patent applications are filed through theTrilateral offices, it falls to them to work out how the current pendencytime crisis can be solved
For organisations that have made a commitment to the principles that underpin intellectual asset management, the availability of the right technology to help in the task is crucial
Although the famous adage about the value of brands still stands, it isalso worth remembering how that value is created so as not to lose sightof another old adage which reminds us that the customer is king
There is no disputing that the Supreme Court’s ruling in eBay v MercExchangedelivered a blow to patent trolls. Less clear, however, is the effect it willhave on others who seek to monetise their rights
Columns
It remains to be seen whetherpatent owners will need to bedragged kicking and screaming intothe 21st century
A thorough freedom to operateanalysis is a vital part of any venturecapital deal in the technology sector
The speed of computer processinghas doubled every 18 months forthe last four decades, just asMoore’s Law predicts. Whether itwill continue to hold true, though, isanother issue
The growing popularity of softwareas a service could have a profoundimpact on the IP industry
When the patent relating to Viagrawas invalidated in China, it createdheadlines across the world. But asthe latest decision in the caseshows, the dispute is actually anexample of the country’s IP systemfunctioning properly
Insights
Although the Community patent now looks to bedead in the water, the signs are that progress couldsoon be made on both the EPLA and the LondonProtocol. For this to happen, however, patent ownersmust seize the moment
A growing number of companies arelooking at the possibility of offshoringaspects of their patent procurementwork in India.
