IAM Issue 67

Universities and government labs –
especially in the United States – are
keen to transfer technologies into
commercial ventures. It can be tough,
but not impossible, for corporates to
engage with those organisations and
find those innovations

More than 600 delegates from over 45 countries gathered at
the sell-out IPBC Global 2014, which took place at the Hotel Okura
in Amsterdam from June 22 to 24. Attended by senior operators from
all parts of the IP marketplace – including chief IP officers, executives
from major public IP companies and other non-practising entities,
financiers and investors, brokers and other intermediaries, policy
makers, lawyers and service providers – IPBC Global 2014 was a
resounding success, from the first plenary session featuring Philips
president and CEO Frans van Houten to the final breakouts

Early-stage IP-based collaborations
can help small start-ups to expand
globally and feed the innovation
pipelines of larger companies. It
is all about building relationships
and trust, and keeping the lines of
communication open

Traditionally, the job of in-house
counsel is to protect innovation
rather than to encourage it. However,
with the right mindset, those in the
role can also play a critical role in the
inventive process itself

The United States lacks a strong
framework for protecting trade secrets
at the federal level. However, proposed
legislation could be about to shake things
up and provide new protection in this area

For some consumer electronics
companies, prior art libraries have
become a first line of defence against
patent assertions and an extremely
effectively tool against non-practising
entities

Despite a more restricted view of
innovation and efforts to rein in bad IP
behaviours, patents are more uncertain
than ever. Some IP investors are certain
to profit

In one of the most eagerly awaited
IP judicial decisions in recent years,
the US Supreme Court appears to
have refrained from restricting the
patentability of software

The findings of a recent survey of inhouse
legal departments and private
practice law firms underline just how
important it is to get the right people
and processes in place for efficient
IP management, writes Adam Jaffe of
Thomson Reuters

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

The License On Transfer
Network is a welcome
addition to the IP ecosystem,
but the companies which
sign up to become members
need to be clear that they are
sacrificing a large part of the
strategic flexibility that patent
ownership can bring