IAM Issue 43

On 12th July, US President Barack
Obama wrote to Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, requesting that
she spearhead efforts to ensure
additional funding for the US
Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO).

A December 2009 deal that
Micron Technology did with an
NPE exposes issues that go to
the very heart of corporate IP
management.

A world class speaking faculty of IP thought leaders
debated with delegates from around the word at the
third IP Business Congress, held this year in Munich.
Creating value from IP and other intangible assets was
the theme of the event, and what is abundantly clear is
just how many possibilities there now are to do this for
those willing to think creatively about what they own.

Strategic thinking on the creation of
IP value tends to focus on patents.
However, those who open their eyes
will find enormous potential, as well
as major challenges, in what
copyright has to offer.

The Supreme Court’s recent
decision in the Bilski case should
encourage US patent owners to
undertake a systematic audit of their
portfolios. Failure to do so could end
up being an expensive mistake.

The CIPO Manifesto Working Group
held its second meeting at the IP
Business Congress in Munich. Its
focus was on identifying best
practices in IP value creation.

Although BP was aware of the
importance of its corporate
reputation, the company's internal
processes have not helped it to
weather the political and regulatory
storm unleashed by the Deepwater
Horizon disaster.

We are entering the intangibles
decade. At a meeting held earlier
this year, experts from a range
of disciplines predicted what this
will mean.

The purchase of IP management
system software is a significant
investment. So how do you decide
exactly what you need and who is
best placed to meet your
requirements?

Four years ago, Europe’s top
aerospace company decided it
should be making a lot more of its
IP portfolio. Now it is beginning to
roll out a sophisticated licensing
programme. In this article, some of
those involved in developing it
explain how it was done.

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

Recent decisions in the US and
Europe concerning the patentability
of software and business methods
may have provided greater clarity,
but they have not brought further
harmony. This has significant
implications for portfolio
management strategies.

Intellectual property is an asset that
can create real value for the
businesses that own it. But
convincing a board of directors that
this is so is not always easy. Chief
IP officers from a variety of
companies explain how they did it.

Understanding patents starts with a
business’s ability to identify needs,
establish expectations and measure
performance. It’s easier said than done,
say three experts.

The recent ruling in the Solo Cup case
provides some insight into what US
patent owners can do to protect
themselves from false marking claims.

Bernard L Bilski is certain to be a name
that will long be remembered in patent
history.

This issue features key patent metrics for companies in the Health Care sector.