Today we released the new Take 5: On Patents report featuring an overview of patent issuance activity within the United States Patent & Trademark Office in October including: You can view and download the full October report here. Subscribe to this monthly report by signing up here. Our report is only […]
Insights
Another Real World Analogy: Trade Secrets and Works of Art
Intangible assets (namely, trade secrets) often can be more easily understood when analogized to tangible assets (for example, works of art) with which people are familiar. To that end, the theme of Ocean Tomo’s 2013 Trade Secret Management & Monetization Symposium was “Trade Secrets: Valuable, but Vulnerable, IP Assets.” That same general theme — valuable, […]
Ocean Tomo 300® Patent Index Enters Eighth Year of Trading
Today the Ocean Tomo 300® Patent Index(OTPAT), the only index based on the value of corporate intellectual property, was reconstituted. The Index is a diversified listing of the 300 companies that own the most valuable patent portfolios relative to the book value of the company. The Index provides a meaningful benchmark for the performance of […]
Leveraging Litigation Analytics to Inform IP Strategy
An important part of IP strategic planning is an understanding of the litigation environment in the relevant technology space. When analyzing patent value and business risks related to IP management, it is imperative to consider the entities actively enforcing patents in a technology area, the types of patented technologies that are being enforced, the importance […]
Can Hollywood Teach Trade Secret Owners About Protective Measures? Absolutely!
Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported on protective measures that studios and producers take to prevent scripts (and screenplays) from being publicly disclosed. (Ben Fritz, “Hollywood’s Latest Thriller: How to Keep Scripts Secret,” 10/14/13 WSJ, A1, A12.) Those measures provide an exemplary framework for protecting scripts and an exemplary starting point for protecting trade secrets. […]
Next Round of Patent Legislation: Innovation Act
Notice went out yesterday that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) is set to release his patent reform bill (“The Innovation Act”). A Hearing is scheduled to take place next Tuesday and will involve the full Judiciary Committee and not just the IP Subcommittee. You can review The Innovation Act here. Under the proposed […]
You Just Learned That Your Trade Secret Has Been Stolen; What Is The First Thing That You Should Do?
You protect your trade secrets. Nevertheless, you just learned that a former employee, who recently resigned, has stolen one of your trade secrets. What is the first thing that you should do? Immediately attempt to retrieve the trade secret. (Attempted retrieval should be the first step in the company’s trade secret misappropriation response protocol, which […]
CPAs Make Invaluable Expert Witnesses
In 2013, there has been a strong demand for expert witnesses who are also Certified Public Accountants. It is believed that CPAs are ranked among the most trusted professionals and their reputation for objectivity and independence makes them ideal expert witnesses. Additionally in an article on the CPA as an expert witness, attorneys Thomas A. […]