Francis G Rushford

What’s the deal of which you’re proudest and why?

I am proudest of creating the patent-trading desk at ICAP because it took patents from curiosity to a financial product that can support its own financial value independent of an associated business. It utilised the bid-ask culture of the financial markets. That experience has been critical to our success at Pretium.

How have client demands changed over the course of your career – and how has your practice evolved to keep pace with these?

Clients, in many ways, understand that the monetisation of intellectual property is no longer just about filing a lawsuit; it requires a global outlook for sales, licensing or business building. That realisation has caused clients to demand more immediate tangible results with a defendable valuation and a predicable result. Intellectual property has captured the financialisaton of all parts of business and that requires a much more sophisticated interaction with clients.   

What are the metrics that you use to measure a successful IP monetisation strategy?

The key metric is how successful we are in meeting the forecasted result, both in terms of timing and finances. 

You’re acknowledged as an expert on IP valuation. How have you seen this space transform over the last decade, and what are the next things to look out for?

First, there has been a growing understanding from corporate officers and corporate boards that intellectual property is critical to the success of a business and that it must support its own ROI for the resources invested. This has resulted in corporates partnering with investors to maximise IP value to the most efficient means possible. 

With regard to the future, those that succeed will have to incorporate AI and establish its value to investors and clients.

What common mistakes do parties make when looking to monetise their intangible assets – and how can they avoid them?

The mistakes are over-valuing intellectual property, which results in unrealistic expectations, ignoring the global nature of intellectual property and failing to tie IP creation to measurable results. 

Challenge the internal bias towards one’s own intellectual property and understand that successful IP creators and owners measure their results constantly. You must see the opportunities of a globally dynamic marketplace and recognise the need to adjust before being forced to change.