Insights
On 12th July, US President BarackObama wrote to Nancy Pelosi,Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, requesting thatshe spearhead efforts to ensureadditional funding for the USPatent and Trademark Office(USPTO).
A December 2009 deal thatMicron Technology did with anNPE exposes issues that go tothe very heart of corporate IPmanagement.
Features
A world class speaking faculty of IP thought leadersdebated with delegates from around the word at thethird IP Business Congress, held this year in Munich.Creating value from IP and other intangible assets wasthe theme of the event, and what is abundantly clear isjust how many possibilities there now are to do this forthose willing to think creatively about what they own.
Strategic thinking on the creation ofIP value tends to focus on patents.However, those who open their eyeswill find enormous potential, as wellas major challenges, in whatcopyright has to offer.
The Supreme Court’s recentdecision in the Bilski case shouldencourage US patent owners toundertake a systematic audit of theirportfolios. Failure to do so could endup being an expensive mistake.
The CIPO Manifesto Working Groupheld its second meeting at the IPBusiness Congress in Munich. Itsfocus was on identifying bestpractices in IP value creation.
Although BP was aware of theimportance of its corporatereputation, the company's internalprocesses have not helped it toweather the political and regulatorystorm unleashed by the DeepwaterHorizon disaster.
We are entering the intangiblesdecade. At a meeting held earlierthis year, experts from a rangeof disciplines predicted what thiswill mean.
The purchase of IP managementsystem software is a significantinvestment. So how do you decideexactly what you need and who isbest placed to meet yourrequirements?
Four years ago, Europe’s topaerospace company decided itshould be making a lot more of itsIP portfolio. Now it is beginning toroll out a sophisticated licensingprogramme. In this article, some ofthose involved in developing itexplain how it was done.
It's a three-step process topersuade a company that it canprosper and grow through investingin intellectual asset management.
Recent decisions in the US andEurope concerning the patentabilityof software and business methodsmay have provided greater clarity,but they have not brought furtherharmony. This has significantimplications for portfoliomanagement strategies.
Intellectual property is an asset thatcan create real value for thebusinesses that own it. Butconvincing a board of directors thatthis is so is not always easy. ChiefIP officers from a variety ofcompanies explain how they did it.
Columns
Understanding patents starts with abusiness’s ability to identify needs,establish expectations and measureperformance. It’s easier said than done,say three experts.
The recent ruling in the Solo Cup caseprovides some insight into what USpatent owners can do to protectthemselves from false marking claims.
Roundtable
A special roundtable on recentdevelopments affecting IP ownersin China
Industry insight
Bernard L Bilski is certain to be a namethat will long be remembered in patenthistory.
This issue features key patent metrics for companies in the Health Care sector.
