IP P®OSPE©TIVE

I was introduced today to a new and intriguing blog titled Intellectual Profit, authored by Raymond Hegarty.  A recent post titled "Ten Reasons for a Separate IP Commercialization Business Unit"  caught my eye.  Noting the recent encouragement from IP professionals for the CIPO position within the C-Suite of companies, Hegarty makes the argument for bypassing this extra seat in the board room, and leading the CIPO to his own and separate business unit, even in another jurisdiction.  This is a move that, ... Read More

An interesting piece by Jackie Hutter over at the IP Asset Maximizer Blog uses some narrow empirical data offered by Marcus Malek of the Intangitopia Blog to dispell the notion that intellectual property auctions have provided any benefits for individual inventors or patent holders.  The piece was written in response to this NY Times article by Steve Lohr, which claims that "patent auctions offer protections to inventors."  Ms. Hutter "wonder[s] if the fact-checkers took a break when this article was presented for publication," adding that ... Read More

Back in June, Intellectual Asset Management Magazine first published the IAM 250, which I posted to IP Prospective with some color.  As a refresher, the IAM 250 is "[a] public, searchable directory of those individuals who offer world-class services relating to the development and implementation of strategies which enable IP owners to maximise the value of their rights portfolios."  It is, as advertised, a listing of the world's leading IP strategists. Jordan Hatcher over at the Tangible IP blog has put together a ... Read More

An interesting article in the New York Times today discusses a Silicon Valley company called Tessera Technologies that creates packaging technology that allows for the production of miniature electronics products.  The intrigue of the article to most readers, and to the author, is two-fold: (1) the miniature technology products envisioned by the company's leaders, and (2) the ability of the company to avoid the demise that many Silicon Valley companies have met over the last few years.  A certain few last paragraphs ... Read More

I apologize for the break in action. I have been on the road almost continuously since attending last week's ICAP/Ocean Tomo "IP Markets 2009" Summer Auction and Conference in Chicago.   Thanks to those who have messaged or emailed in search of the "full report" I promised before the event, I have not been derailed from my mission and will hereby "give the people what they want." We all know the results of the auction.  For the second straight auction, the numbers were disappointing.  ... Read More

As I said, the Ocean Tomo brand is still strong, and in fact continues to grow.  Just a week after news hit the fan that Ocean Tomo was selling its transactions practice and would be falling apart soon hereafter (not true), we receive word that Ocean Tomo and French bank Caisse des Dépôts have agreed to a working protocol to develop the first European patent ratings system.  No money has yet changed hands as a result of the deal, but it is said ... Read More

Word came last week that the IP Auction platform that Ocean Tomo had pioneered and built into a world-renowned marketplace for high-profile intellectual property is now in the hands of another company, British information brokers ICAP.  According to a press release: ICAP (IAP.L), the world's premier interdealer broker, announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire the transactions division of Ocean Tomo LLC, the leading Intellectual Capital Merchant Banc® firm, for an initial consideration of US$10 million at closing, comprising $5 million ... Read More

While I regret that I did not make it to the IP Business Congress in Chicago this week, I did promise to relay some of the important moments of the 3-day conference.  Fortunately, Joff Wild has posted an update on the IAM blog titled Seen and heard at the IPBC on some of the useful information flying around the conference rooms at the Four Seasons.  The post covers important tidbits and soundbites from directors at the EPO, the USPTO, and the Intellectual ... Read More

The Chicago Tribune reported today that Facebook will be getting a $200 Million investment from Digital Sky Technologies, a Russian firm.  The investment is said to be in exchange for almost 2% of Facebook's stock, valuing the California-based internet social networking site at roughly $10 Billion.  This is down from the $15 Billion valuation of the company represented by the $240 Million investment Facebook received from Microsoft for a 1.6% stake in the company, but it grossly exaggerates the $3.7 Billion valuation Facebook ... Read More

One of the more interesting, and important, happenings in the IP market is the emerging movement to fill a C-Suite (corporate exec. office) chair with an individual that understands and envisions IP as a potential asset class, and not a means to litigation.  (For a good quote on the idea that we need to move away from the thinking that IP is only relevant for litigation, see the ipVA blog: "the earliest evolution of our market over-emphasises the link between IP value ... Read More