IAM Issue 51

Doing more with less is a challenge facing many in-house IP functions. Thankfully there is help at hand, writes Adam Jaffe of Thomson Reuters

Many aspects of US patent law and practice have changed following the enactment of reform legislation. As a result, organisations should review their patenting procedures to see whether they too are in need of reform

An internet portal linking all stakeholders could facilitate the
innovation process in Europe and across the world, thereby
enhancing potential outcomes

Localities, like all other public sector bodies, face an increasingly competitive and globalised environment. A carefully designed brand can help a locality to increase its visibility and show off its competitive advantages

A number of trends are shaping the market for IP management
software and advanced management software vendors have responded with new offerings

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

A growing number of companies understand that M&A deals which fail to consider the IP issues involved in a tie-up can end up causing more problems than they solve. A group of senior in-house IP professionals discussed a number of M&A-related IP issues at a recent LES meeting in Paris

The defensive patent arms race, and companies’ consequent focus on quantity rather than quality as they build their portfolios, causes them and others a great many problems

The Nortel patent auction and Google’s proposed takeover of
Motorola Mobility have attracted the attentions of US competition regulators. With several other highstakes patent transactions on the cards, chief IP officers need to know the dangers of violating antitrust law and the steps they can take
to avoid costly consequences

The decision to create, rent or acquire
patents is becoming less confusing for some cash-rich companies. A new role for C-level executives and investors may be emerging

A recent decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union may well have dealt a shattering blow to Europe’s nascent stem cell industry

Although non-practising entities are often portrayed as nothing more than parasitical patent trolls, the reality is far more nuanced. And when it comes to behaviour that harms innovation, perhaps some operating companies deserve a much greater share of the blame

A round-up of IP-related quotes, observations and opinions from the recent past ...