In 1992, there was a high-profile U.S. software copyright case involving Nintendo’s NES video game console and cartridges. Reverse engineering services played a big part in the legal proceedings. The backstory goes like this … Nintendo developed a security system for their NES, so that only video games they developed would operate on the NES. […]
IP
Patents as Debt Collateral: Perfecting Security Interests
There will be many lessons to learn and conclusions to be made over the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) fallout, but what we know is that SVB rapidly grew during the pandemic. In 2021 SVB’s deposits grew from $62 billion to $124 billion, in part due to the fact that SVB offered higher rates on deposits […]
License Comparability Guiding Principles: Two-Pronged Approach for Technical and Economic Comparability
Introduction As part of a damages analysis, when assessing whether a license agreement is comparable for the purposes of a hypothetical negotiation for a reasonable royalty, economic and technical comparability is important to consider. In this post, we posit certain high level guiding principles, focusing on a two pronged approach of technical and economic comparability. […]
Platform Technologies to Support Commercialization Among Diverse Communities
Lisa Cook, Professor of Economics & International Relations at Michigan State University, commented on a recent study conducted at Harvard University regarding the demographic data of inventors in America. Cook stated that, “throughout history, women and underrepresented minorities have not been able to participate fully in each stage of the innovation process.” Following the study, […]
Recent Rulings Suggest Damages Experts Have Discretion in Considering License Agreements Post-Dating a Hypothetical Negotiation
On January 5, 2023, in the matter of Willis Electric Co., Ltd. v. Polygroup Limited, et al., Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota denied a motion to exclude expert testimony that relied on a license agreement post-dating the hypothetical negotiation.1 In this matter, Plaintiff Willis Electric […]
The Roles of Competition and Geopolitics in Cybersecurity and Cyber-Crime
Recently, the Ocean Tomo Cybersecurity Report was front and center in an interview on the Peggy Smedley Show. During the podcast interview, we were able to dissect a variety of important topics related to industry trends, dynamic threats, capital markets, and intellectual property (IP) in the cybersecurity industry. More specifically, our discussion covered: Paradigm shifts […]
Intellectual Property Valuation & Technical Insights: A Path to Successfully Raising Capital
A valuation of intellectual property (IP) may be important when raising capital because it helps to determine the value of a company's most valuable assets – its intangibles. Historically, capital providers would look to the value of a company’s hard assets (such as property, plant, and equipment) to gain comfort before investing in or lending […]
Case Law on the Role of Non-Infringing Alternatives Under a Reasonable Royalty Analysis versus a Lost Profits Analysis
Consideration of non-infringing alternatives may be informative in determining financial damages associated with patent lawsuits under both a reasonable royalty analysis and a lost profits analysis. However, the following case law examples suggest that non-infringing alternatives serve a different role when considered under a royalty analysis compared to consideration under a lost profits analysis. In […]