IV and RPX mega deal; Huawei secures BlackBerry IP; China’s patent attorney boom; USPTO grants remain at historic high; Fortress NPE targets tech trio; and much more
Everything we covered on IAM over the last seven days – and all you need to know from the global IP market to set yourself up for the start of another busy week
MONDAY 11th January
As an OLED patent battle against a Japanese rival intensifies, Samsung Display has appointed a Covington & Burling lawyer with deep litigation experience to be vice president of its IP legal team. Read more here
After four years which have seen a pronounced shift in the US government’s thinking on FRAND licensing, a former USPTO head argues that the Biden administration should not change course. Read more here
RPX has secured a licence to approximately 18,000 Intellectual Ventures patents, including 12,700 active grants and around 8,400 active US rights. Read more here
TUESDAY 12th January
Huawei made two IP deals with operating companies last month, acquiring patents from Canada’s BlackBerry and Japan’s Denso. Read more here
President Trump has signed the Orange Book Transparency Act into law – a move which promises better and more readily available patent information for generic companies and the public at large. Read more here
Two recent patent assignments involving Samsung and WiLAN underline how the semiconductor space continues to drive activity in the secondary market. Read more here
WEDNESDAY 13th January
China's powerful new anti-sanctions law shows that SEPs are not the only area in which the country is looking to flex its international legal muscles. Read more here
There may be good reasons for F1 teams to be wary of patents, but if they want to maximise the value of their innovations attitudes will have to change. Read more here
With President-elect Biden’s inauguration just days away, IP groups are having their say on what direction US patent policy should take over the next four years. Read more here
THURSDAY 14th January
USPTO report on non-market incentives to file for patents shows how Chinese applicants are being encouraged to obtain more foreign rights. Read more here
Despite providing important clarifications, newly published Brazilian patent examination guidelines for biotech inventions pose many difficulties for life sciences innovators. Read more here
Why the landmark licensing deal it has signed with RPX is such good news for Intellectual Ventures – and other key takeaways from the transaction. Read more here
FRIDAY 15th January
Preparing for the 5G and VVC future, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is tapping labs and inventors for video and wireless IP rights. Read more here
Newly released data shows that, despite the covid-19 pandemic, the USPTO granted over 350,000 patents in 2020 with IBM receiving more than anyone else once again. Read more here
Another Fortress-backed litigation campaign takes shape against Apple, LG and Dell - this time involving 4G and 5G patents. Read more here
SATURDAY 16th January
There has been an explosion in the number of patent attorneys in China, but liberalisation threatens the quality of output and puts long-term Chinese strategic goals in danger. Read more here