A very exciting IP global meeting just finished in Portugal, with approximately 500 IP professionals and companies from around the world, and many of the leading figures from the largest IP deals in recent past, USPTO, EPO, academics, politicians and others. IAM did a fantastic job with speakers, logistics, details, as everyone has come to expect.
Some of the main themes that reverberated both in formal presentations and in the halls were as follows:
- IP Tipping point is finally, irreversably here, with Wall Street and Board recognition of value of IP as a standalone and strategic asset
- Serious work remains to be done to educate market players and create efficient IP market tools, like exist for other “traditional” assets
- Dangers of “Pirate” parties in the EU, and the EU Parliament, SOPA/PIPA/ACTA, and general public misunderstanding of fundamental role of IP must be counteracted through public outreach and education campaign
- China and Brazil are making huge forward strides toward a functional IP market, driven primarily by internal demand of their own companies
- Everybody expects that deal flow will continue to stay robust, no “IP bubble,”
- While important, IP deal volume is still very small, and will remain small, with respect to larger “traditional” M&A transactions, and major focus of leading companies. IP is not “the most important thing in the world”, but is becoming recognized as a meaningful asset that everyone should be aware of.
- IP activity is expected to broaden to include pharma, medical device, energy, industrial/automotive and other markets, which have been relatively quiet.
As always, it was great to see many friends, who remain committed, year after year, to both moving the IP market forward, and also educating the world about IP and its value, while remaining realistic about what is reasonable and how much work is still ahead.
If your life touches IP, make sure you show up in Beijing later this year or in Boston for the next IPBC congress. Definitely worth every second.