Opinion

After Unwired Planet why it’s now over to China’s courts to set global FRAND rates

The big decision of the summer was a major win for right owners but may hand Chinese courts a lead role in SEP licensing cases

26 September 2020

Google’s anticompetitive infringement of IP reduces innovation

Ahead of the company’s pivotal Supreme Court case against Oracle, a former GHW Bush Administration official outlines what he believes to be a deliberate strategy to appropriate the work of first-movers

19 September 2020

It’s the PTAB, stupid

Whether the US chooses four more years of Donald Trump or Joe Biden replaces him, big tech's assault on the PTO shows where the patent policy battle lines are being drawn

12 September 2020

Covid-19 shows promise of AI tools – innovators need IP protection, and fast

Breakthroughs by startups across the APAC region show the IP system is working as intended to incentivise innovation - even in a crowded patent landscape

05 September 2020

Despite last Wednesday's Supreme Court decision, the UK won't become the global hub for resolving FRAND disputes

The Unwired Planet/Conversant judgment was great news for SEP owners, but Brexit Britain is not economically or politically important enough to be home to the world's royalty-setting court 

29 August 2020

If Nvidia purchases Arm it will create a processor patent powerhouse

The semiconductor industry is buzzing on the news of a potential tie-up and portfolio analysis shows that there is a lot to be gained from such a move

22 August 2020

SEP owners may never have had it so good

It's been a great 2020 for rights holders so far and that's why a rallying call deployed by UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in the 1950s could well be ringing in their ears

15 August 2020

China's universities can shape the future of video - and more besides - if they get IP right

Robust technical contributions to VVC could turn into future royalty streams as the country's academic institutions get more involved than ever before in standards-setting

08 August 2020

Ignore naysayers, the patent system is playing a vital role in the fight against covid-19

We have learned some important IP lessons in the months since the coronavirus pandemic surged across the world; one of which is just how crucial IP itself is to finding a way out of the crisis

01 August 2020

As IP moves up Canada’s national agenda, other countries should follow suit

Trio of initiatives shows the country means business and the risk of a global economic downturn means similar moves may also become an important part of recovery plans elsewhere

25 July 2020

Why Huawei can’t count on patent licensing – at least in the US

Successful dealmaking cannot be isolated from broader political currents and that means China’s 5G champion may need to embrace more out-of-the-box IP value creation strategies

18 July 2020

Reporting serious allegations made against the WIPO director general was not fake news, it was essential

The agency's outgoing head Francis Gurry has hit out at media coverage of complaints made against him by his deputy, but the real problem was a total lack of transparency in how the affair was handled

11 July 2020

Facebook campaign highlights the power of brands, but activism is not risk-free

Consumers like companies that make stands and support causes. Authenticity is all, though; bandwagon jumpers will pay the price

04 July 2020

Japan’s position as a 5G follower will shape its IP policy

Scuttled plan to protect IoT industry from patent threats is a sign of anxiety over the landscape around the latest telecom standard

20 June 2020

It’s a great time to be involved in IP finance

Why you should expect an increase in patent-focused financing deals involving biotech and other life sciences companies

13 June 2020

It’s time for the auto sector to speak with a more coherent voice on IP

There are numerous challenges facing OEMs, suppliers and new players which call for more coordinated action

06 June 2020

Politics look set to trump patents in China’s coronavirus vaccine effort

Remarks made by Xi Jinping suggest that if a Chinese company develops a covid-19 cure, compulsory licensing’s big moment might not arrive after all

30 May 2020

Patent dealmaking cannot escape the effects of worsening Sino-US relations

Despite the improving Chinese IP environment and trade deal commitments, long-term personal relationships are likely to be increasingly important in getting transactions over the line

09 May 2020

It’s a downturn Jim, but not as IP owners know it

Patent rights may fare well in a recession but this is a global market unlike any other we have seen before

02 May 2020

SEP owners face a moment of maximum danger

Mobile devices will play a major role in the recovery from the covid-19 crisis - and that means how much they cost is going to come firmly under the microscope

25 April 2020

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