US patent suits soar; No troll problem in Europe; China’s top IP judge wants anti-suit injunctions; Biogen loses key Tecfidera asset; The era of the mega NPE; 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 22nd June
iPEL settlement deal with Extreme Networks comes as the NPE, which owns hundreds of former Huawei and ZTE patents, promises to escalate campaign against Netgear. Read more here
A new report reveals that it can be tough to identify the true holders of patents in Europe. However, claims that “trolls” are migrating from the US do not hold up to scrutiny. Read more here
Stanford academics propose a series of reforms which they claim could improve the US patent system - but not one is focused on tweaking 101. Read more here
TUESDAY 23rd June
Japanese panel consortium JOLED was set up in 2014 by public-private fund INCJ. Its first patent assertion, against Samsung in the US, shows it is very serious about IP monetisation. Read more here
Following a steep decline in life sciences deal-making volume and value in the first three months of the year, the rate of M&A transactions fell to new lows in April and May. Read more here
There should be no question as to the value that wireless technology brings to a car, says former InterDigital licensing head. Read more here
WEDNESDAY 24th June
A study group convened by the Japanese government has issued an SEP valuation guide which signals support for positions held by implementers in some high-profile licensing disputes. Read more here
A composite of the publicly-quoted companies in the IAM/ktMINE US Patent 100 listing out-performed the NASDAQ, the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Dax Index in May. Read more here
A month-by-month breakdown shows that Q2 is set to see a jump in new US district court patent suit filings as rights owners respond to a changed climate. Read more here
THURSDAY 25th June
Lenovo has asked the Beijing IP Court to set a FRAND rate for InterDigital’s Chinese portfolio of 3G, 4G and 5G standard essential patents. Read more here
The last US patent on Biogen’s best-selling product Tecfidera has been invalidated by a district court eight years before its expiry date, despite withstanding attacks at the PTAB. Read more here
Acquisition interest in Finjan went as high as $5.10 per share before market conditions and then covid-19 prompted a sharp reduction in offers. Read more here
FRIDAY 26th June
Luo Dongchuan, president of the Supreme People’s Court IP Tribunal, has said that mechanisms for anti-suit injunctions in China are needed. Read more here
Philips joins Sisvel WiFi pool, while InterDigital, Nokia and Samsung are among the big names to have signed up for joint licensing approach. Read more here
New study, commissioned by Unified Patents, claims that the PTAB has led to an increase in business activity in the US and looks set to influence policy discussions. Read more here
SATURDAY 27th June
The era of the mega-NPE is upon us. Fortress, Acacia et al can go head-to-head with deep pocket corporations across multiple venues and jurisdictions. That is bad news for Big Tech. Read more here
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