No UK EPO exit; Next USPTO Director latest; New finance boosts NPEs; Foreign SEP owners take China validity hit; French delight for patent plaintiffs; 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
The Long Read
A remarkable 98% of patent owners rely on benchmarking to support their patent strategy, according to a recent survey. However, over half of respondents were unhappy about the time and expense involved, with a similar proportion lamenting a lack of objective and reliable data. This is more than a coincidence, write Nigel Swycher and Niall McMahon, it is causation. If the task is hard enough, it is only human nature to avoid it. Read more here
MONDAY 8th February
Barely more than a year after Sharp initiated a patent dispute with Oppo, the Japanese company’s patent portfolio has suffered significant losses in China. Read more here
A recent ruling in Eli Lilly’s favour in a dispute with a generic company confirms French judges are taking a more balanced approach to preliminary injunctions and damages in patent cases. Read more here
There seems to be an emerging consensus that, given the Biden Administration's strong commitment to diversity, the new USPTO Director is unlikely to be a middle-aged, white, male. Read more here
TUESDAY 9th February
Samsung Display bought over 100 display-related patents from Seiko Epson and is now looking to enforce some of them against Japan’s best hope of creating a national OLED panel champion. Read more here
Jazz Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay a hefty $7.2 billion to purchase GW Pharmaceuticals, the owner of the US’s first approved medical cannabidiol and a giant of the cannabis IP landscape. Read more here
IBM has long taken a multi-faceted approach to deriving value from its massive patent portfolio and, if recent assignments are any guide, disposals remain a key part of that. Read more here
WEDNESDAY 10th February
Netgear faces nearly 20 patent suits in China filed by a group of relatively obscure local companies, but an American NPE may also be involved. Read more here
A flood of capital into the patent market - principally from litigation funders - means that NPEs are better equipped than ever, according to a new RPX report. Read more here
THURSDAY 11th February
Taiwan-based Mediatek has become the latest semiconductor company to acquire a significant patent portfolio from GlobalFoundries. Read more here
The recent denial of a Mylan IPR petition suggests that some pharma patents may be insulated from PTAB challenges, with serious implications for generic litigation strategies. Read more here
An expert group established by the European Commission has published a long-awaited report on SEP licensing and valuation, but a key industry member has issued a dissenting opinion. Read more here
FRIDAY 12th February
New data shows that smartphone companies challenging foreign SEPs were the top users of Chinese invalidation procedures in 2020 - and did far better than average. Read more here
After ITC decision in favour of LG Chem in its high-profile dispute with SK Innovation over trade secrets related to battery technology, Ford’s CEO has urged the South Korean giants to settle. Read more here
The UK will not leave the EPO despite plans to accede to the CPTPP and the seeming incompatibility between the organisations’ treatment of the grace period, government spokesperson tells IAM. Read more here
SATURDAY 13th February
The clock is ticking for Big Oil to get with the times, but the supermajors’ patent portfolios fall short on cleantech. That may mean opportunities for others. Read more here