Thank you to all who stopped by the Ocean Tomo booth at the annual AIPLA conference last week. Michael Milani, Managing Director of Expert Testimony, and I enjoyed meeting new contacts and catching up with our clients.
Interestingly enough, this year, Ocean Tomo decided to raffle off an iPad 2 and used a different method to register. On the booth sign along with our business cards, we displayed a QR code that links directly to our website as well as our AIPLA raffle registration. While only a few people knew how to scan the QR code with their smart phone—Mike and I enjoyed teaching contacts how to download the QR code application followed by scanning. Once the application is installed on your phone—it is very easy.
We found that the majority of our conversations surrounded IP Valuation and our Expert Testimony Practice. With the onset of Fortune 500 companies monetizing their patent portfolio’s (i.e. Nortel and others) many of the attorneys we spoke with received calls and inquiries from either the Chief IP Counsel, company board members, or C-Suite executives asking the same question—what is our IP portfolio worth? Are there any million dollar patents we should be selling or licensing? Lastly, our greatest need expressed: What are we doing to understand, monetize and protect our IP?
I heard during Saturday morning’s IP recap of 2011, that this AIPLA conference had the highest attendance ever. We certainly saw an uptick in conversations with new and existing clients.
As always, great to see everyone and hope to see you in Vegas in January 2012. Since I have never been to Las Vegas, I am sure I will have lots to see and do when I am not at the conference.
Lastly, the winner of the iPad raffle was: Bea Swedlow of Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn from Ann Arbor Michigan. Congratulations Bea!