Features
Some of the best prospects forvalue creation, and the mostsignificant risks, lie in creative useof the IP portfolios of financiallydistressed businesses
The second edition of the US Patent 100, which names the entities with the largest active US patent portfolios, looks very different from the first list published this time last year
European investors generallyhave a limited understanding ofpatents when compared to their UScounterparts. A major challenge forbusinesses is to provide them withcredible and appropriate valuations
The implementation of the AmericaInvents Act and the prospect offurther reforms in the near futuremean that prosecuting attorneysmust be adaptive if they are tocontinue securing high-qualitypatents for their clients
Twitter’s successful initial publicoffering has focused attention onhow much value patents actuallycontribute to publicly traded socialmedia companies
Whether a company is seekingacquisition targets or potentialsuitors, it is increasingly thestrength of the intellectual propertyon offer that is the driving attraction.However, the messages toparticipants are ‘buyer beware’ and‘seller, be prepared’
Building an entire patent portfoliofrom scratch while your company isbesieged by claims of infringementwould be a daunting task for many.But TomTom’s chief IP strategist,Peter Spours, rose to the challengewith gusto
There can be significant hiddenrisks in software licence agreementsfor those who fail to take account ofa relatively common indemnificationexclusion
Columns
Google’s recent sale of Motorola Mobility’shandset business to Lenovo for $2.9billion is a reminder that the meaning of apatent acquisition is as much a reflectionof perceived need as it is of market value
While the patent market remains busy,parties must avoid several potentialsnags before successfully completinga transaction – particularly wheremonetisation efforts are led by a centralteam, but intellectual property is ownedby individual business units
Legislation designed to reduceabusive patent suits that is currentlybefore the US Senate could open upa major loophole for supply-chainmanipulation – illustrating yet again thatfinding the right IP balance is far fromstraightforward
Last September the South Africangovernment published its draft nationalIP policy for comment. It covers a rangeof IP issues, including proposals on theway in which pharmaceutical patentsshould be dealt with
A personal reflection upon – andprojection from – over a decade in the IPinnovation space at PARC
Insights
A round-up of IP-related quotes, observations and opinions from the recent past...
If recent reports coming outof China are accurate, thecountry could now be leadingthe world in IP financing. Thereality, though, may be a littlemore nuanced
Data centre
A selection of key IP facts and figures, as reported by IAM and other sources
