Is Conversant being unrealistic?
This recent article, in which former U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Chief Judge Paul Michel calls licensing best practices “just not very realistic”, caught our eye. Conversant was the first company to publish a set of Patent Licensing Principles back in November 2013. We have received a lot of support for our […]
Read more >Intellectual Property and the Chinese Market
China is enjoying a meteoric rise in the international IP marketplace, increasingly taking centre stage as the balance of global economic power shifts eastwards. Astute businesses operating in China recognize that they need strong patent portfolios if they are to continue to grow at their current rate. Ensuring that they have the necessary expertise to […]
Read more >David Kappos’ fact-based argument against legislative patent reform: music to my ears
David Kappos recently made a no-holds-barred speech at the LeadershIP conference in Washington DC. His clear and well-supported rationale is a breath of fresh air and a valuable compilation of facts that should serve as a wake up call for Congress and the Senate. If you haven’t had a chance to read the full speech, […]
Read more >The business of responsible licensing – highlights from NPE 2015
IAM Magazine hosted a successful NPE 2015 conference in New York last week, with over 200 industry delegates taking part. This conference, the industry’s first to focus specifically on the NPE community and our important role in the business of patent licensing, was an inspiring forum where we discussed the most pressing issues and explored […]
Read more >Patent Troll? Or Formerly Manufacturing Entity?
Some time ago, I had a lively conversation with Kristen Osenga, a professor of law at the University of Richmond School of Law, Virginia. As part of Prof. Osenga’s research for a forthcoming paper, we discussed Conversant’s business model and where we fit within the broad landscape of companies who engage in patent licensing. Prof. […]
Read more >Applications Developers Alliance + the FTC = progress on rooting out patent trolls
Recently, the Application Developers Alliance held a Google+ Hangout session with FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen. Abusive patent demand letters was a hot issue during the discussion. Some of the app developers conveyed their unsettling experiences with receiving threatening, bogus patent demand letters and asked that the FTC get more involved in the issue. Commissioner Ohlhausen […]
Read more >Global Antitrust Enforcement Symposium
Last week Georgetown University Law School in Washington, D.C., hosted its annual Global Antitrust Enforcement Symposium. Despite its name, this is largely a trans-Atlantic event, bringing together lawyers and key government officials from North America and Europe. The conference opened with remarks by Bill Baer, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, who […]
Read more >Patent trolls go to Washington, or how U.S. politicians are rallying against extortionist demand letters
Adam Carolla, one of the most popular podcasters in the U.S., is sued by a patent troll. The story goes viral. Across the country, state Attorneys General are using consumer protection laws to guard their small businesses from the predacious patent trolls. And here’s something previously unthinkable: the President of the United States, in the […]
Read more >Stand Up To The Demand: Patent Trolls Beware
The greatest long-term threat to the U.S. patent system does not come from its professional opponents – those large businesses and their political allies who stand to profit from enfeebled patent rights. A deeper harm is caused by unscrupulous patent trolls who use extortionist “demand letters” to victimize small businesses. This practice, we believe, is […]
Read more >Is Tesla giving up its patents? Nope, Elon Musk is offering a cross-license
George Mason Law Professor Adam Mossoff published an article in the university’s Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property blog last week titled “Tesla’s New Patent Policy: Long Live the Patent System!” Mossoff’s piece is in response to a blog post by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, revealing that the electric car company would not sue […]
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