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. Full Text

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. Full Text

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. Full Text

The US’s ongoing patent revolution

The patent landscape of the United States continues to evolve. Three leading IP professionals on the front line of change discuss what it all means. Full Text

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. Full Text

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. Full Text

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. Full Text

Reputation resilience

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

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? Full Text

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. Full Text

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. Full Text

Letter to the editor

Sir: I am writing in response to the IP VC column written by Malte Köllner in issue 30 of IAM(Patent party, page 56) in which Mr Köllner worried that the patent funds now active in Germany may not deliver the results that investors are looking for. Of course, I cannot speak for those operated by other organisations, but I feel that I am well qualified to speak about those for which IPB is responsible. Full Text

India could pay a heavy price for its patent deficit

For followers of cricket, India became the centre of the world in April and May. It was then that the globe’s leading cricketers converged on the subcontinent to contest the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL), a 20 over a side competition (that’s 120 pitches each to non-cricket lovers) between multimillion-dollar franchises based on some of the country’s biggest cities and provinces. Full Text

Capitalising on your intellectual assets through in and out licensing

Turning IP into cash is one way to recoup investments in its creation. However, to do this as effectively as possible, you need an effective strategy and the right tools, writes Laura Gaze, Senior Marketing Manager with the Scientific Business of Thomson Reuters Full Text

Litigation focus

Because intellectual property is a legal right, in the end it only has value if those that own it are ready to go to court to defend what they have. A company that is prepared to stand by and watch others infringe its patents, trademarks, copyrights or trade secrets will not be in business for long. Certainly, its shareholders will very quickly begin to ask questions. Full Text

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. Full Text

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. Full Text

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. Full Text

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. Full Text