Taking the heat out of the global patent system

Global patent warming is real, not imaginary. And while it may suit some, for many others it will cause increasing problems. At the world’s major patent offices, solutions are being sought. It could all mean that change is on the way. View PDF

Features

Opportunities bring innovation and finance together

There has never been a better time for banks and other investors to get involved in the European innovation marketplace. The structures and the tools are there. All that is lacking is the strategy. View PDF

It’s time for France to lead

One of the major aims of the six-month French presidency of the European Union, which began on 1st July, is to provide fresh impetus for European innovation by securing major changes in the EU’s patent policy. View PDF

Working where IP, technical standards and competition meet

Products driven by new technologies are increasingly underpinned by technical standards. Companies have to understand the potential problems, as well as the opportunities, presented by this emerging issue. View PDF

The long road to harmonisation

Steps towards the harmonisation of patent laws and practices have been slow. A panel of leading IP professionals consider what effects the current lack of harmonisation has on patent owners and offices, and what is needed for the situation to change. View PDF

Lift-off for the IPBC

450 delegates and speakers, drawn from all corners of the world, came to the first-ever IP Business Congress in June. For two days at the Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam, they focused on the role of the chief intellectual property officer and how companies that embrace the position can enhance their bottom line and obtain other more intangible benefits. To cap the event off, there was a spectacular example of IP monetisation in action. View PDF

Reputation resilience

Best practice intangible asset management brings tangible benefits when a company finds its reputation is on the line. View PDF

Increasing transparency in the IP transaction markets

History is full of examples of markets evolving by organising with standardised approaches to sharing information and streamlining transaction processes. Will the nascent secondary patent market learn and adopt such efforts, or remain largely a lawyer’s sandbox? View PDF

Maximum value at minimum cost

One of the disincentives to drilling into a patent portfolio to search out further value-enhancing opportunities is cost. However, there are ways to save significant amounts of money – something that financial modelling will help patent owners discover. View PDF

Insights

Taking the fight to the trolls

The Allied Security Trust provides further evidence of high-tech companies’ determination to combat the threat they believe is presented by patent trolls. It is also very good news for innovators. View PDF

Columns

Beer, bucks and brands

InBev’s acquisition of Anheuser-Busch is all about the US company’s portfolio of famous brands. And it is the declining value of another celebrated American brand that has helped to make it possible. View PDF

Measures of success

Innovation profoundly affects every business and investor. While most executives believe that new ideas are the currency of choice, few agree on the best ways to profit from them. View PDF

CIPO: means, end or impediment?

The IP profession has traditionally been locked out of the boardroom, so the creation of the chief intellectual property officer role is surely worth celebrating. But before we do, we should consider whether the CIPO is the first or last step up the ladder. In fact, maybe it even involves the wrong ladder in the first place. View PDF

French courts take a strict line on eBay

In June 2008, French courts rendered three decisions that held eBay liable for the sale of counterfeits on its online auction platform. View PDF