Aon’s big IP insurance move; Huawei, Qualcomm, Samsung back new pool; US patent sales soar; Iancu covid-19 licensing exclusive; Uber patenting secrets; plus 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 18th May

A single patent obtained by Taiwanese firm Kingpak Technology has become the basis for a US patent litigation campaign targeting the big three producers of memory chips. Read more here

For companies seeking minimal IP protection, blockchain applications can be attractive. However, other cryptographic solutions may be better, especially when the aim is merely to notarise assets. Read more here

On the back of two years of growth, Aon has launched its own IP insurance underwriting platform in a space that it claims is "starting to mature". Read more here

TUESDAY 19th May

Huawei, Qualcomm and Samsung back new patent pool model for video licensing designed to minimise IP risks. Read more here

The PTAB’s first microbiome technology gives some hope to gut bacteria innovators, despite invalidating a key cancer treatment patent. Read more here

EPO enlarged board decision that plants produced by biological processes are unpatentable has shocked – and worried - many in the IP profession. Read more here

Japan’s Shiga International Patent Office was the top PCT filer in 2019, with Fish & Richardson and Epping Hermann Fischer leading for the US and Europe respectively. Read more here

The IPO released its top 300 US patent recipients for 2019 yesterday and the major takeaway is that the rankings are awash with companies seeing big jumps in their grant numbers. Read more here

WEDNESDAY 20th May

Shenzhen-based Purplevine IP helps manage overseas licensing and litigation for TCL and other clients – a task its vice president says just a handful of Chinese companies can handle in-house. Read more here

A UK Supreme Court justice, a former USPTO head, a leading IP scholar, a trailblazing trademark lawyer and a one-time presidential candidate are the 2020 inductees into the IP Hall of Fame. Read more here

A look into the IAM back catalogue to see how we have covered the developing face of IP strategy in Japan. Read more here

The US patent deals market saw a big jump in activity in the first quarter with both the number of deals and the amount of assets changing hands experiencing notable increases. Read more here

THURSDAY 21st May

Convictions for former ZTE researchers show big domestic telecom players can make trade secret thieves pay in China – something foreign companies very rarely achieve there. Read more here

Scrutiny of biopharma innovators’ coronavirus IP strategies will continue to intensify in coming months as concerns mount about access to treatments. Read more here

A deep dive into the portfolios of top NAND patent owners in the US reveals how – and when – waveform and protocol analysis should be used to support evidence of use. Read more here

Via Licensing has made a significant addition to its advanced audio coding patent pool with the news that Samsung has joined as both a licensee and licensor. Read more here

FRIDAY 22nd May

Shifting supply chains may mean high-tech manufacturing moves in several directions, but China will continue to be a critical part of IP strategies. Read more here

Uber’s IP legal director explains how its technology programmes provide a winning formula for maximising patent value while keeping costs under control. Read more here

In an exclusive interview, USPTO Director Andrei Iancu explains how the agency's Patents 4 Partnerships initiative will help make IP available to fight covid-19. Read more here

SATURDAY 23rd May

Legislative reform of US patent eligibility rules is not going to happen. Clues as to why can be found in a recent Guardian article and the Open COVID Pledge. Read more here

IAM has made all its content relating to the covid-19 pandemic free-to-view. You can access our back catalogue via this link.

Unlock unlimited access to all IAM content