Intellectual property (IP) refers to intangible assets such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. These assets increasingly represent significant, material value of businesses, and as such, they need to be properly protected and managed in buy/sell agreements. In a buy/sell agreement, the seller is often required to transfer ownership of any IP that is […]
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Generative AI Technology Implications in the Intellectual Property Community
A poem about intellectual property: Intellectual property, a treasure so rare A creation of the mind, beyond compare It’s the fruit of our labor, our ideas and thoughts A source of pride and joy, that we dearly sought We pour our hearts and souls into every design And protect our works, with copyright as our […]
SCOTUS to Hear Case on Damages for Trademark Violations Based on Foreign Sales
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) will take up what could prove a landmark case on the reach of U.S. courts in awarding damages based on extraterritorial sales in trademark disputes. The case is Abitron Austria GmbH, et al. v. Hetronic International, Inc., Docket 21-1043. Hetronic manufactures construction equipment components. By agreement, Arbitron and […]
Understanding Patent Value and Patent Quality
In the last decade and a half patent quality has been at the forefront of debates about patent policy. Industry professionals of all sorts (patent holders, legal practitioners, implementers, policymakers, and academics) seem to agree about the importance of patent quality, but often the consensus stops there. It’s no wonder, because the term ”patent quality” […]
Patent Value, Uncertainty, and the Debate about Patent Quality
When I was the Chief Economist at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), I sometimes encountered people who were surprised to know that I existed. Well, not me as an individual, but the role of Chief Economist. Why does the USPTO have economists? Now, many of these individuals were Congressional staffer-types on their fourth […]
Ocean Tomo Bid-Ask Market: Mid-Year Update
The Ocean Tomo Bid-Ask™ Market is an open online platform to buy and sell patents and other Intellectual Property (IP). This market is an important step forward, both as a simplified solution for patent transactions and a source of information on patent pricing. The Ocean Tomo Bid-Ask Market uniquely combines the efficiency of an online […]