Fingers Crossed for Spring 2010 ICAP Ocean Tomo Auction

By: Ian McClure
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Today ICAP Ocean Tomo will host their Spring 2010 IP Auction in San Francisco, which has stirred a lot of buzz lately in the blogosphere because of various sales made before the auction has even started.  Joff Wild has highlighted this trend in a couple of recent posts at the IAM Blog, including a recent post with a word from Avancept IP Counseling's Tom Ewing regarding a study he has completed on the string of auctions and their trends.  Interestingly, the early sales is ... Read More

Categories: Portfolio Potential

Ocean Tomo PatentRatings Ranks 25 Most Inventive Companies

By: Ian McClure
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Things have been warp-speed at the office lately, so I apologize for being about 3 weeks late on this. Better late than never. Ocean Tomo was asked by Bloomberg Business Week to use their PatentRatings platform to rank the 25 most inventive companies in the world. OT's patented program ranked companies based on the most valuable patent portfolios. Read more about the rankings and the results at Ocean Tomo's press release. A good James Malackowski quote from the release: "The ultimate value of a patent ... Read More

Categories: Today in IP

The Future of IP: Notes from the ICAP Ocean Tomo Summer 2009 Conference

By: Ian McClure
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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

Categories: Burgeoning Business, Investment Intelligence, Patent Prospects

ICAP Ocean Tomo “IP Markets 2009″ July Conference and Auction in Chicago

By: Ian McClure
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Another Ocean Tomo conference and auction is upon us, and perhaps this one has solicited the most curiosity from IP market outsiders because of the recent sale of the Ocean Tomo transactions practice to ICAP, including its well known auction platform. How will this transaction affect the public perception and success of these auctions? Was the auction platform really a "distressed asset", as many have called it? These will be answered shortly. The turnout for this event, however, should prove that there ... Read More

Categories: Today in IP

Ocean Tomo Gets Endorsement From Caisse des Dépôts for European Patent Ratings System

By: Ian McClure
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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

Categories: Burgeoning Business

Ocean Tomo Sells IP Transactions Business, but Still Strong

By: Ian McClure
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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

Categories: Burgeoning Business

The Ocean Tomo IP Conference: Topics of Conversation in the IP Market

By: Ian McClure
ritz-carlton-san-francisco

I returned from the Ocean Tomo Spring 2009 Conference and Auction in San Francisco with a head full of questions about the status of the market.  The market continues to grow, and that is a fact evidenced by the number of professionals and market participants that attended the conference.  Nevermind the dismal auction results, which will be the subject of another post, the conference itself and the overall optimistic and enthusiastic mood of discussion that buzzed through the rooms and halls of ... Read More

Categories: Burgeoning Business, Copyright Caucus, Investment Intelligence, Patent Prospects, Portfolio Potential, Trademark Trends

Ocean Tomo Launches OTI.com

By: Ian McClure
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Ocean Tomo launched its new website, OTI.com, a site for global IP market data with a touch of community atmosphere to go with it.  The site was introduced at the Ocean Tomo Spring 2009 Conference in San Francisco last week with a large display booth that attracted a lot of attention from conference attendees, including myself.  The site adds easy patent search tools to a murky market, contributing greatly to the movement for transparency that Ocean Tomo continues to lead.  The platform ... Read More

Categories: Today in IP

Ocean Tomo Spring 2009 Auction in San Francisco

By: Ian McClure
ocean20tomo2

I will be in San Francisco this week for the kick-off of the IP Markets 2009 series (lets hope its a series) and the live IP auction hosted by Ocean Tomo.  Let me know if you will be in SF this Thursday or Friday and would like to meet.   Rumors have been flying about the economy's negative effect on sale prices for the IP in this auction's catalog, and on IP value in general.  This event will be a great indicator of the economic ... Read More

Categories: Burgeoning Business, Investment Intelligence, Portfolio Potential

Ocean Tomo Restructures; Predicts New Direction in IP Transactions

By: Ian McClure
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A press release on Monday from Ocean Tomo announced a restructuring at its firm, most notably with the auction business. Andrew Ramer, former President of OT's auction business, seems to have been replaced by Dr. Dipanjan Nag and Michael Anglin. Dipanjan Nag previously developed the firm's patent bid/ask practice, and is touted to have significant experience in bio-pharm and life sciences. Anglin was previously the firm's Chief Operations Officer and has an accounting background; he will head the auction business going forward. The ... Read More

Categories: Today in IP