IAM Issue 68

Findings presented back in issue 61 of IAM dispelled the myth that patent count is all that is needed for a strong and valuable IP portfolio. This year, a repeat of that research is taken further by providing examples of IP portfolio management and the gathering of competitive intelligence

Back in issue 56 of IAM, we explored the boom in third-party finance for patent litigation. We return to the industry to catch up with its latest innovation – funding for defendants

The moniker ‘patent troll’ is increasingly widely used – often as a scare term. However, while the label describes a variety of patent-holding companies, it fails to differentiate between those engaged in abusive behaviour and those behaving perfectly reasonably

The US patent reform debate involves strong and divergent opinions. However, there is also a surprising amount of agreement on what needs fixing, how to fix it and what the future may hold

Using the car-rental sector as a model, it is possible to see how sophisticated market analysis and IP mapping can be used to target inventions and disrupt an entire industry

Companies need to be rigorous in controlling patent quality to achieve better return on investment. Clear and comprehensive procedures enable the right decisions to be made on whether to file a patent application and help to ensure high-quality drafting

There were no empty seats at the first-ever IPBC Japan, which took place in Tokyo on September 4, and 70% of the delegates came from the country’s corporate community. The theme of the day was change and how to deal with it. Attendees left with plenty to ponder

With the IP marketplace under scrutiny as never before, a recent initiative to create best practice standards around deal making, entity behaviours and other issues could be an idea whose time has come

A selection of key IP facts and figures, as reported by IAM and other sources