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.
Intellectual property due diligence
should form part of the necessary
audits undertaken before any M&A
activity. However, it often isn’t
considered until very late in the
process, writes John Pryor of CPA