(The Economist, 21 April 2012) In Brief: China’s legal system is showing signs of getting better at protecting intellectual property, according to this article. Locals face more difficulty in filing patents that are mere copies of overseas inventions because of a change in the law, and judges are better trained to try technical cases. But [...]
Read more(Reuters, 28 March 2012) In Brief: China’s Executive Vice-Premier Li Keqiang has assured Apple CEO Tim Cook that his government will strengthen intellectual property protection for multinationals, according to state media reports. Our View: Piracy of intellectual property is one of the most vexing problems facing companies doing business in China. Minimizing the risk and [...]
Read more(Businessweek, 29 March 2012) In Brief: Having trouble keeping track of the latest battlefronts in the global struggles over patents for the smart phone and tablet industries? This graphic of cases pending before the International Trade Commission is for you. Our View: Reactive IP protection, such as infringement lawsuits, draws company resources away from more [...]
Read more(Toronto Star, 20 February 2012) In Brief: Major tech companies are intensifying their push for injunctions to protect intellectual property worldwide, largely because of the competition for mobile phone and tablet market share, and the short shelf life of products. Our View: Most companies significantly over-invest in legal tactics to safeguard critical assets in emerging [...]
Read more(Inside Counsel, 20 January 2012) In Brief: The Internet giant has beefed up its in-house legal department by hiring a new deputy General Counsel responsible for patent licensing and litigation, of which Google currently has around 100 active cases. Our View: Intellectual Property (IP) management has traditionally been siloed across the organization, with Legal, R&D, [...]
Read more(The Wall Street Journal, 12 January 2012) In Brief: Two years after a clash with Chinese authorities over censorship issues, Google is renewing its focus to expand in China, which has become the biggest internet market in the world. Our View: While there is little doubt that China has become an important market, international organizations [...]
Read more(International Business Times, 11 December 2011) In Brief: The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is likely to rule tomorrow on whether smartphones made by HTC violate a selection of Apple’s patents. If found guilty of infringement, the Taiwanese firm could be banned from importing its devices into the US. Our View: Corporate legal departments face [...]
Read more(Inside Counsel, 21 November 2011) In Brief: Unilever’s web-based patent management system has helped streamline the company’s operations and promote greater collaboration across its global network. All of the firm’s patent professionals have immediate access to the patent portfolio, and it is better suited than a general document management system for the workflow of its [...]
Read more(Smart Planet, 20 November 2011) In Brief: A recent World Intellectual Property Organization report concludes that ownership of IP is a highly valuable strategy for engineers, designers at corporations, universities, and public research organizations alike. Royalty and licensing fee revenue increased globally from $27 billion in 1990 to approximately $180 billion in 2009. Global R&D [...]
Read more(Law.com, 8 November 2011) In Brief: In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Tim Porter, Google’s Patent Counsel spoke of the Internet giant’s ongoing battles over its Android operating system. He also said that the “US patent system itself is broken.” Our View: Though companies must carefully analyze their intellectual assets and defensive strategies [...]
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