What makes green patents green? - IAM issue 60

While there is an increased focus on green technology and intellectual property, confusion remains about what qualifies as ‘green’. Industry leader Philips offers some concrete examples of how to define and measure green patents View PDF

A shifting landscape: patenting in the Chinese semiconductor industry - IAM issue 59

After a decade of growth at home, Chinese semiconductor companies are poised to take a larger share of the global market. They are also rapidly increasing their patenting activities. Multinationals should sit up and take note – not just in China, but in their own jurisdictions as well View PDF

Europe has spoken: now it’s up to the judges - IAM issue 58

Two new regulations have brought Europe closer than ever to a unitary patent regime. However, the compromises that have been deemed necessary risk creating a patchwork system far more complex and hostile to users than that which it will replace View PDF

Domain names rewired - IAM issue 57

As the controversial new generic top-level domain programme gets ready to launch, and with over 2,000 applications already made, brand owners need to prepare for what may prove to be a game-changing development on the Internet View PDF

The law and the ultimate intellectual asset - IAM issue 56

While intellectual property has risen to an elevated position of strategic significance and monetary importance in our society, many fail to realise what has changed and how incisively the law itself has become central to enterprise strategy View PDF

Debating the tipping point - IAM issue 55

The fifth IP Business Congress was the biggest yet. Held in Cascais, Portugal, it featured a world-class roster of speakers joined by delegates from industry, finance, government and the law. The event took place after a year in which patents were at the centre of some major high-profile deals and, as a result, were attracting C-suite and investor attention like never before View PDF

Introducing the illustrious - IAM issue 54

Every year, a set of individuals is inducted into the IP Hall of Fame. For 2012, six people - all leaders in their fields and renowned among their peers - have been chosen to join the ranks of a very elite group View PDF

A revolution launched on the back of IP - IAM issue 53

It is the fastest-selling consumer electronics device ever, with 18 million units sold worldwide as of January 2012. The Kinect story shows that by linking the IP function with all internal divisions and putting IP strategy at the heart of corporate culture, Microsoft has been able to offer the world something truly revolutionary View PDF

Reputation for innovation lost - IAM issue 51

RIM and Kodak were once masters of all they surveyed; but not any more. As their fortunes have declined, so their reputations have plummeted. Disgruntled shareholders are now looking for people to blame View PDF

Meet the elite - IAM issue 48

Each year, induction into the IP Hall of Fame is reserved for a select group of individuals. The achievements of the people chosen this year certainly match those of their predecessors View PDF

The essential skills of a leading patent litigator - IAM issue 47

Many people describe themselves as patent litigators, but only a select few can be considered world class. Those who are often share similar traits View PDF

Tax and the strategic management of intangibles - IAM issue 46

Intangible assets can create much more value when they are managed in a tax-efficient manner. A number of European countries offer incentives for companies exploiting intangible assets in those jurisdictions View PDF

The GE IP agenda - IAM issue 45

As the nature of IP creation and exploitation has changed, so has the job of the in-house IP professional. These days, at a company such as GE they are focused on a range of issues, from IA management to public policy View PDF

Hooking the corporation on the value of intellectual assets - IAM issue 43

It's a three-step process to persuade a company that it can prosper and grow through investing in intellectual asset management. View PDF

Strategists of the world unite - IAM issue 42

Although there are many groups and organisations that represent a variety of IP professionals and interests, there is currently nothing out there that focuses specifically on IP strategy and strategists. However, that could be about to change. View PDF

The world’s leading life science patent litigation law firms - IAM issue 41

Patents are crucial to virtually all companies that operate in the life sciences industries. This makes patent litigation a fact of business life. Detailed and exclusive IAM research has uncovered which law firms the life science powerhouses go to when disputes arise. View PDF

Brand and reputation in China following the financial crisis - IAM issue 40

China’s economy may be forced to change over the coming years as the export market becomes more challenging. This could present both foreign and domestic companies with new opportunities. To seize them, they must understand their brands. View PDF

IP rights on the line in Copenhagen - IAM issue 39

Intellectual property is proving to be a controversial issue in the climate change negotiations taking place in advance of a major UN conference to be held in Copenhagen in December, and compulsory licensing could be on the agenda. But is this a serious threat or just so much political posturing? View PDF

The man from the ministry - IAM issue 38

The UK’s IP minister outlines his policy priorities and examines some of the issues facing patent owners in Europe and further afield View PDF

Chicago Showdown - IAM issue 37

We may be in the midst of a global downturn, but as the IP Business Congress in Chicago showed, there is still a thirst for top-level discussion on IP value creation View PDF

The team player - IAM issue 36

Horacio Gutierrez has been Microsoft’s chief intellectual property officer for three years now. In that time he has built a 200-strong team and dealt with issues fundamental to the company’s future View PDF

Global brand values weather financial storm - IAM issue 35

The BrandFinance Global 500® is an annual survey of the world’s most valuable brands. During 2008, the combined value of the top 50 dipped markedly and a new name took pole position View PDF

Standardising IP valuations: whether, what and how - IAM issue 34

Valuing IP is complex, with more than 50 different methods currently in use. Given the growing importance of IP to so many organisations, perhaps now is the time to re-think whether global valuation standards make sense View PDF

The cream of the crop - IAM issue 33

Becoming an IP Hall of Fame inductee is no easy thing. That’s why those who have made it this year are all acknowledged leaders in their respective fields View PDF

A new tool for a new kind of patent adversary - IAM issue 32

PatentFreedom is an online database and information exchange designed to help companies that are developing strategies to deal with the challenges posed by nonpractising entities. View PDF

Lift-off for the IPBC - IAM issue 31

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

Fighting for a space in the C-suite - IAM issue 30

As intellectual property continues to grow as a critical business asset, so too must the prominence and visibility of those who manage it. A panel of leading IP professionals consider what is required to put the chief intellectual property officer in the C-suite. View PDF

Quality is the key to a bright patent future - IAM issue 29

Ask anyone in the world of patents to name their top three issues and you can be sure that the importance of quality will be mentioned. A panel of leading IP professionals discuss the importance of first-rate patents. View PDF

Meet the middlemen - IAM issue 28

Over recent years a number of new business models for making money out of IP have emerged and along with them have come the IP intermediaries. They may not be universally loved, but they show no signs of going away. In fact, we can expect to see many more evolve View PDF

World class - IAM issue 27

The inductees into the IP Hall of Fame for 2007 have all helped to establish intellectual property as a cornerstone of the global economy. Over the following pages they look back on their achievements and explore what may happen next as the IP world develops View PDF

The decade-long revolution - IAM issue 26

It is now 10 years since David Bowie put pen to paper to seal the first music royalty securitisation. From what better place than the inside is there to assess how this deal and those that followed have revolutionised the world of IP monetisation? View PDF

P&G goes inside out - IAM issue 25

When the CEO of Procter & Gamble decided that 50% of the company’s products should be developed collaboratively, a new internal business group was born. Seven years on, it is ensuring the boss is getting exactly what he wants View PDF

Money and mayhem - IAM issue 24

Brand extensions and celebrity endorsements can be the easiest route to a rapid increase in revenue. But as some companies have found out, they are not guarantees of success View PDF

A European perspective on global patent workload - IAM issue 23

Talk of poor quality patents and flooding has become commonplace over recent years, but a closer look at the facts suggests that things are not as bad as they first seem. While patent offices do face serious challenges, major changes to the current system are not the answer View PDF

US patent values - IAM issue 22

Patent values in the US, as determined by the top 25 litigation awards/settlements, took a tumble in 2006, dropping from US$5.1 million to US$3.1 million. View PDF

It’s time to rethink IP education - IAM issue 21

Further interdisciplinary training on IP management is vital if the full potential in IP rights is to be realised. What is needed is a master’s programme that helps to overcome current educational shortcomings View PDF

Avoiding the patent storm - IAM issue 20

SFAS 141 was issued five years ago in the US to change the way in which acquiring companies value assets and view intangibles involved in an M&A deal. In order to avoid future problems such companies would do well to ensure that IP experts take part in the valuation process View PDF

The best of both worlds - IAM issue 19

Mixing open source and closed software can prove to be an effective – and profitable – corporate strategy. Philips is one company that has come to understand this View PDF

The role of trademarks in M&A - IAM issue 18

Those engaging in the M&A process could be making a major mistake if they fail to give serious consideration to the brands involved in the potential deal View PDF

The IP Hall of Fame - IAM issue 17

The IP Hall of Fame is designed to honour those who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of today’s IP system. The first inductees were announced in February 2006 View PDF

The I-stuff effect - IAM issue 16

One way of tackling the silos that have emerged around the IP and intangibles nexus in many companies is to think about I-stuff. It is a term that encapsulates a completely different approach to the issue View PDF

Intellectual asset strategy and the board of directors - IAM issue 15

Changes to the way in which corporate governance is approached mean that boards of directors will spend more time on IP management issues than they have in the past. For intellectual asset professionals, one of the challenges this presents is helping senior decision makers focus on the right areas View PDF

Biopharma under threat - IAM issue 14

The patent system has proved effective at fostering developments in the traditional pharmaceutical industry but the new area of biopharmaceutical research is not being so well treated. The consequences could be devastating View PDF

Europe’s patent crisis - IAM issue 13

Viewed in isolation, the failure of the CII Directive was not a body blow to European patent owners. The problem is that it was just the latest in a string of reverses that threaten to leave Europe’s businesses way behind their global competition View PDF

Big Blue gets its man - IAM issue 12

Kevin Rivette is one of the pivotal figures in the development of intellectual asset management. He has now surprised many by swapping life as a consultant for the high-profile pressure of a senior position at IBM View PDF

California runs stem-cell risk - IAM issue 11

Hollywood-fuelled enthusiasm – and blue-state contrariness – moved California voters last year to authorise a US$3 billion handout for the funding of stem-cell research. Unfortunately, it appears that nobody stopped to think through the IP consequences. As a result, the project could now be at risk View PDF

Europe’s IP future - IAM issue 10

The first pan-European IP Summit, held in Brussels on 2nd and 3rd December 2004, brought together senior representatives from industry, the law, policy making and administration View PDF

The folly of legislating against software patents - IAM issue 09

Anti-software and business-method patent lobbying efforts in Europe are alarmist rhetoric and more harmful than helpful to the software industry. Despite its media appeal, a prohibition on these patents is doomed to fail, as it is impossible to prohibit something that cannot be defined. By Craig Opperman View PDF

It’s a minefield out there - IAM issue 08

There may be gold in them there patent portfolios. But not everyone is going to find it when they go a-looking. Over the summer, IAM assembled a quartet of leaders in the field to discuss the opportunities and dangers patent mining presents. By Joff Wild View PDF

Dickinson starts planning GE’s IP revolution - IAM issue 07

For the first time ever, General Electric has given one person the job of looking after its entire intellectual property portfolio and strategy. And in Todd Dickinson they could not have found someone with more experience to take on the task. By Joff Wild View PDF

Keeping its name is crucial to Google’s public performance - IAM issue 06

The imminent public offering of Google shares seems set to be the event of the year in the United States. Those looking to invest in the company should take a close look at Google’s brand management strategy. View PDF

Why it’s all about location - IAM issue 05

Any successful IP programme requires the backing of those at the top of an organisation. But how do people with no background in the area begin to understand the issues involved? One solution is to talk about patents in terms of real estate. An added bonus is that thinking in this way can bring about radical changes to portfolio management strategies. By Craig Opperman View PDF

The challenges of 2004 - IAM issue 04

During 2003 there were major developments in the world’s intellectual asset management landscape. Some more welcome than others. And it is clear that the pace of change shows no signs of letting up. Senior figures from industry, the law and representative organisations explain what they saw as the key issues of the last 12 months and what we need to be looking out for in 2004. By Joff Wild View PDF

Taking IP to market the BTG way - IAM issue 03

BTG plc has a simple enough mission statement – to find, develop and commercialise emerging technologies in the life and physical sciences. Getting the financial markets to understand just what it means to be perhaps the world’s only full-service IP-commercialisation operation, however, can be a tough job. View PDF

Patent challenges for nanotech investors - IAM issue 02

Patent portfolios are an essential element in any nanotechnology company’s business prospectus. The problem for investors is in deciding which patents are worth the paper they are written on, and which are not. The task is not made easier by the current problems the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has with nanotech patent applications. By Joff Wild View PDF

When licensing deals create shareholder value - IAM issue 01

Companies which are able to communicate the details of licensing deals to the financial markets stand to reap an immediate benefit in the shape of increased share values, according to a detailed study of London Stock Exchange share movements following such announcements. But the same research reveals that although market-makers appreciate there is value in licensing agreements, many of them are not quite sure why. By Suzanna Hawkes View PDF